title: Ferroelectric domain breakdown.
abstract: We observe a stringlike domain penetration from a ferroelectric surface deep into the crystal bulk induced by a high voltage atomic force microscope tip. The domains, which resemble channels of an electrical breakdown, nucleate under an electric field of around 10(7) V/cm at the ferroelectric surface, and grow throughout the crystal bulk where the external electric field is practically zero. A theory explaining the shape of the formed domains is presented. It shows that the driving force for the domain breakdown is the decrease of the total free energy of the system with increasing domain length.
authors.affiliation: The Wolfson Materials Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molotskii
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agronin
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Urenski
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shvebelman
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosenman
authors.forename: Yossi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rosenwaks