Ferroelectric and Ferroelastic Domain Wall Motion in Unconstrained Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Microtubes and Thin Films

Ferroelectric polarization switching of high aspect ratio (>80:1) PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) microtubes with a wall thickness of similar to 200 nm was investigated. A charge-based technique was used to assess the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of individual mechanically-unconstrained PZT microtubes with interdigitated electrodes. An enhancement in the degree of ferroelastic (non-180 degrees) domain wall motion was observed in the tubes relative to films of similar thickness on rigid substrates. The dielectric response of the tubes showed a Rayleigh-like ac field dependence over a wide temperature range; the extent of the extrinsic contribution to the dielectric response dropped as the temperature approached 10K, but remained finite. This work demonstrates a general methodology for directly electrically addressing small, unconstrained ferroelectric devices, extending the range of driving fields and temperatures over which these materials can be probed.