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Polarization switching in lead-free (K0.40Na0.60)NbO3 (KNN) single crystals was studied by switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM). Acquisition of multiple hysteresis loops on a closely spaced square grid enables polarization switching parameters to be mapped in real space. Piezoresponse amplitude and phase hysteresis loops show collective symmetric/asymmetric characteristics, affording information regarding the switching behavior of different domains. As such, the out-of-plane polarization states of the domains, including amplitudes and phases can be determined. Our results could contribute to a further understanding of the relationships between polarization switching and polarization vectors at the nanoscale, and provide a feasible method to correlate the polarization hysteresis loops in a domain under an electric field with the polarization vector states.


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Determination of polarization states in (K,Na)NbO3 lead-free piezoelectric crystal

Show Author's information Mao-Hua ZHANGaChengpeng HUb( )Zhen ZHOUaHao TIANbHao-Cheng THONGaYi Xuan LIUaXing-Yu XUaXiao-Qing XIaJing-Feng LIaKe WANGa( )
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

Abstract

Polarization switching in lead-free (K0.40Na0.60)NbO3 (KNN) single crystals was studied by switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM). Acquisition of multiple hysteresis loops on a closely spaced square grid enables polarization switching parameters to be mapped in real space. Piezoresponse amplitude and phase hysteresis loops show collective symmetric/asymmetric characteristics, affording information regarding the switching behavior of different domains. As such, the out-of-plane polarization states of the domains, including amplitudes and phases can be determined. Our results could contribute to a further understanding of the relationships between polarization switching and polarization vectors at the nanoscale, and provide a feasible method to correlate the polarization hysteresis loops in a domain under an electric field with the polarization vector states.

Keywords: lead-free, piezoelectrics, (K0.40Na0.60)NbO3 (KNN), switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM), ferroelectric domain

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Publication history

Received: 15 October 2019
Revised: 06 January 2020
Accepted: 06 January 2020
Published: 07 April 2020
Issue date: April 2020

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© The author(s) 2020

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Science Challenge Project (No. TZ2018003) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51822206 and 5171101344).

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