Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Applied Physics Letters
Publication Date
Page Number
142901
Volume
93
Issue
14
Abstract
The ferroelectric polarization switching behavior at the 24� bicrystal grain boundary (GB) in a multiferroic BiFeO3 epitaxial film is studied using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The PFM amplitudes across positively and negatively poled GB regions suggest the presence of a frozen polarization component at the interface. The switching experiments demonstrate that the GB attracts the domain wall and acts as a pinning center. The PFM results are compared with conductive atomic force microscopy images, which suggest domain-wall pinning at the GB can be partially attributed to increased conductance at the GB.
