Phase transitions and ferroelectricity in very thin films: single- versus multidomain state

2006/01/21 by A. M. Bratkovsky, Bratkovsky, A. M., A. P. Levanyuk +1
Materials Science · #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Solid-state spectroscopy and crystallography

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0601484

openalex publication_date 2006/01/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We discuss ferroelectric phase transitions into single- and multidomain states in very thin films using continuous theory. It is shown that in nearly cubic ferroelectrics the domain state may survive down to atomic film thicknesses, unlike the single domain state, which is almost always unstable or metastable. This conclusion is valid almost irrespective of the nature of electrodes (metallic or semiconducting) and whether or not the screening carriers may be present in the ferroelectric itself.

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