# Watching Domains Grow: In-situ studies of polarization switching by combined Scanning Probe and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Source: [Watching Domains Grow: In-situ studies of polarization switching by combined Scanning Probe and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/68fa2a9f1e209131ce83f54f>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2025-10-28T13:53:10.547Z

Authors: Hyejung Chang, Sergei V. Kalinin, Seungyeul Yang, Pu Yu, Saswata Bhattacharya, Ping P. Wu, Nina Balke, Stephen Jesse, Long Q. Chen, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Stephen J. Pennycook, Albina Y. Borisevich

Published: 2011-04-26T23:52:04.000Z

## Abstract

Ferroelectric domain nucleation and growth in multiferroic BiFeO3 films is observed directly by applying a local electric field with a conductive tip inside a scanning transmission electron microscope. The nucleation and growth of a ferroelastic domain and its interaction with pre-existing 71^{\\circ} domain walls are observed and compared with the results of phase-field modeling. In particular, a preferential nucleation site and direction-dependent pinning of domain walls is observed due to slow kinetics of metastable switching in the sample without a bottom electrode. These in-situ spatially-resolved observations of a first-order bias-induced phase transition reveal the mesoscopic mechanisms underpinning functionality of a wide range of multiferroic materials.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.5050>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/1104.5050.pdf>)