IMF2017

Ferroelectric domains give rise to macroscopic polarization. The polarization is typically stabilized with surface charge, which in turn is screened by mobile charges available from the ambient, e.g. carboxyl and hydroxyl groups as well as humidity. By imaging nano domains in thin PZT films under various environmental conditions we studied the effect of screening on ferroelectric domains and were able to characterize the ferroic-domain coherence length with and without surface screening.