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Figure 4. Local electrical switching properties for three types of domains. (A-C) The topography, SSPFM mapping, and averaged SSPFM
curves for type 1 domain. (D-F) The topography, SSPFM mapping, and averaged SSPFM curves for type 2 domain. (G-I) The
topography, SSPFM mapping, and averaged SSPFM curves for type 3 domain.
in the type 3 domain leads to a larger depolarization field and elastic energy, which makes the domain
unstable and easier to switch. The detailed V c-map mappings and averaged SSPFM loops for upward and
downward domains are shown in Supplementary Figure 9. The cross-boundary regions between type 1 and
type 3, alongside those type 1 and type 2, are shown by the optical microscope images in
Supplementary Figure 10.
CONCLUSION
In summary, three different types of domain structures have been systematically studied using SPM in
PMN-30 PT single crystals with an M crystal structure. High-resolution PFM and trailing field experiments
A
were performed to reconstruct the polarization variants in 3D space for three different domain structures.
Type 1 and 2 domain structures have been shown to possess two varying 4M domain structures featuring a
A
180°/71° domain wall type and a 180°/109° domain wall type. A Type 3 domain structure has a pure 109°
domain wall type. Detailed electrical switching properties have been studied through the SSPFM mappings,
and the divergence of coercive fields in different types of domains is likely to be associated with different
domain sizes and types. Furthermore, the perfect correlation between the morphology and ferroelectric
domains allows for pinpointing diverse domain structures using optical microscopy. The detailed study of
PMN-30PT single crystal at mesoscale can provide a better understanding of various domain structures and
insight into the structure-property relationship of the material.