title: Electric-field-induced domain evolution in ferroelectric ultrathin films.
abstract: The electric-field-induced evolution of the recently discovered periodic 180 degree nanostripe domain structure is predicted in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 ultrathin films from first principles. This evolution involves (1) the lateral growth of majority dipole domains at the expense of minority domains with the overall stripe periodicity remaining unchanged, (2) the creation of surface-avoiding nanobubbles, and (3) the formation of a single monodomain state. Analogies and differences (i) with ferroelectric thin films made of BaTiO3 and (ii) with ferromagnetic thin films under magnetic field are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Bo-Kuai
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ponomareva
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Naumov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kornev
authors.forename: Huaxiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellaiche
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Salamo