Applied Physics Letters, volume 116, issue 21, pages 212901

High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals

Nataf Guillaume F. ¹

Guennou M. ^{2, 3}

Scalia Giusy ²

Moya Xavier ¹

Wilkinson Timothy D. ⁴

Lagerwall Jan P.F. ²

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Department of Materials Science, University of Cambridge 1 , 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, United Kingdom |

Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg 2 , 162a Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg |

Materials Research and Technology Department, Luxembourg Institute of Sciences and Technology 3 , 41 rue du Brill, 4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg |

⁴

Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge 4 , 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United Kingdom |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2020-05-26

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Journal: Applied Physics Letters

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Impact factor: 4

ISSN: 00036951, 10773118

DOI: 10.1063/5.0008845

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Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Abstract

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) couple the direction of their spontaneous electric polarization to the direction of tilt of their optic axis. Consequently, reversal of the electric polarization by an electric field gives rise to an immediate and lasting optical response when an appropriately aligned FLC is observed between crossed polarizers, with one field direction yielding a dark image and the opposite direction yielding a bright image. Here, this peculiar electro-optic response is used to image, with high optical contrast, 180° ferroelectric domains in a crystalline substrate of magnesium-doped lithium niobate. The lithium niobate substrate contains a few domains with upward electric polarization surrounded by regions with downward electric polarization. In contrast to a reference non-chiral liquid crystal that is unable to show ferroelectric behavior due to its high symmetry, the FLC, which is used as a thin film confined between the lithium niobate substrate and an inert aligning substrate, reveals ferroelectric domains as well as their boundaries, with strong black and white contrast. The results show that FLCs can be used for non-destructive readout of domains in underlying ferroelectrics, with potential applications in, e.g., photonic devices and non-volatile ferroelectric memories.

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Nanomaterials	Nanomaterials, 1, 50% Nanomaterials 1 publication, 50%
Journal of Molecular Liquids	Journal of Molecular Liquids, 1, 50% Journal of Molecular Liquids 1 publication, 50%
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Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)	Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 1, 50% Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) 1 publication, 50%
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Nataf G. F. et al. High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals // Applied Physics Letters. 2020. Vol. 116. No. 21. p. 212901.

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Nataf G. F., Guennou M., Scalia G., Moya X., Wilkinson T. D., Lagerwall J. P. High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals // Applied Physics Letters. 2020. Vol. 116. No. 21. p. 212901.

RIS |

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TY - JOUR

DO - 10.1063/5.0008845

UR - https://doi.org/10.1063%2F5.0008845

TI - High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals

T2 - Applied Physics Letters

AU - Nataf, Guillaume F.

AU - Guennou, M.

AU - Scalia, Giusy

AU - Moya, Xavier

AU - Wilkinson, Timothy D.

AU - Lagerwall, Jan P.F.

PY - 2020

DA - 2020/05/26 00:00:00

PB - American Institute of Physics (AIP)

SP - 212901

IS - 21

VL - 116

SN - 0003-6951

SN - 1077-3118

ER -

BibTex |

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@article{2020_Nataf,

author = {Guillaume F. Nataf and M. Guennou and Giusy Scalia and Xavier Moya and Timothy D. Wilkinson and Jan P.F. Lagerwall},

title = {High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals},

journal = {Applied Physics Letters},

year = {2020},

volume = {116},

publisher = {American Institute of Physics (AIP)},

month = {may},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1063%2F5.0008845},

number = {21},

pages = {212901},

doi = {10.1063/5.0008845}

}

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Nataf, Guillaume F., et al. “High-contrast imaging of 180° ferroelectric domains by optical microscopy using ferroelectric liquid crystals.” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 116, no. 21, May. 2020, p. 212901. https://doi.org/10.1063%2F5.0008845.

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Publisher

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Journal

Applied Physics Letters

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ISSN

00036951 (Print)
10773118 (Electronic)