2024/10/09 by Jialun Liu, David Yang, Liu, Jialun +7
Materials Science · #FOS: Physical sciences #Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.06980
openalex publication_date 2024/10/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We report a detailed investigation into the response of single BaTiO3 (BTO) nanocrystals under applied electric fields (E-field) using Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging (BCDI). Our study reveals pronounced domain wall migration and expansion of a sample measure in situ under applied electric field. The changes are most prominent at the surface of the nanocrystal, where the lack of external strain allows greater domain wall mobility. The observed domain shifts are correlated to the strength and orientation of the applied E-field, following a side-by-side domain model from Suzana et al. Notably, we identified a critical voltage threshold at +10 V, which leads to irreversible structural changes, suggesting plastic deformation. The findings highlight how surface effects and intrinsic defects contribute to the enhanced dielectric properties of BTO at the nanoscale, in contrast to bulk materials, where strain limits domain mobility. These findings deepen our understanding of nanoscale dielectric behaviour and inform the design of advanced nanoelectronic devices.