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arXiv · 1306.4906

Periodic elastic nanodomains in ultrathin tetrogonal-like BiFeO3 films

Zhenlin Luo·Zuhuang Chen·Yuanjun Yang·Heng-Jui Liu·Chuanwei Huang·Haoliang Huang·Haibo Wang·Meng-Meng Yang·Chuansheng Hu·Guoqiang Pan·Wen Wen·Xiaolong Li·Qing He·Thirumany Sritharan·Ying-Hao Chu·Lang Chen·Chen Gao
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Abstract

We present a synchrotron grazing incidence x-ray diffraction analysis of the domain structure and polar symmetry of highly strained BiFeO3 thin films grown on LaAlO3 substrate. We revealed the existence of periodic elastic nanodomains in the pure tetragonal-like BFO ultrathin films down to a thickness of 6 nm. A unique shear strain accommodation mechanism is disclosed. We further demonstrated that the periodicity of the nanodomains increases with film thickness but deviates from the classical Kittel's square root law in ultrathin thickness regime (6 - 30 nm). Temperature-dependent experiments also reveal the disappearance of periodic modulation above 90C due to a MC-MA structural phase transition.

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Zhenlin Luo, Zuhuang Chen, Yuanjun Yang, Heng-Jui Liu, Chuanwei Huang, Haoliang Huang, Haibo Wang, Meng-Meng Yang, Chuansheng Hu, Guoqiang Pan, Wen Wen, Xiaolong Li, Qing He, Thirumany Sritharan, Ying-Hao Chu, Lang Chen, Chen Gao. 2013-08-05. Periodic elastic nanodomains in ultrathin tetrogonal-like BiFeO3 films. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.88.064103

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