Electron-Beam Driven Relaxation Oscillations in Ferroelectric Nanodisks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron beams induce slow relaxation oscillations in ferroelectric PZT nanodisks, revealing athermal nanodomain dynamics driven by charge trapping and domain wall creep, using simulations and imaging.

Contribution

It introduces a new understanding of slow, athermal nanodomain relaxation oscillations in ferroelectric nanodisks caused by electron-beam interactions.

Findings

Identification of subhertz nanodomain oscillations

Charge trapping and domain wall creep as mechanisms

Revealing slow athermal dynamics in nanoscale systems

Abstract

Using a combination of computational simulations, atomic-scale resolution imaging and phenomenological modelling, we examine the underlying mechanism for nanodomain restructuring in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanodisks driven by electron beams. The observed subhertz nanodomain dynamics are identified with relaxation oscillations where the charging/discharging cycle time is determined by saturation of charge traps and nanodomain wall creep. These results are unusual in that they indicate very slow athermal dynamics in nanoscale systems.