Effect of domain wall conductivity on domain formation energy

Abstract

Domain wall (DW) conductivity is nowadays considered as a general ferroelectric phenomenon. As applied to ferroelectric domain reversal, it is capable of providing a strong and instantaneous compensation of the bound polarization charge on DWs by free charges coming from electrodes. We claim that account for this compensation can strongly lower the domain formation energy as compared to that known from the Landauer theory. This facilitates the domain reversal process and resolves the problem of an excessively large depolarization energy. We provide a derivation and detailed analysis of the domain formation energy in the presence of the DW conduction; this is relevant to both the capacitor and atomic force microscopy experimental configurations.

Keywords:

• Domain wall conductivity
• domain reversal
• domain formation energy
• charge compensation
• lithium niobate