title: Controlled stripes of ultrafine ferroelectric domains.
abstract: In the pursuit of ferroic-based (nano)electronics, it is essential to minutely control domain patterns and domain switching. The ability to control domain width, orientation and position is a prerequisite for circuitry based on fine domains. Here, we develop the underlying theory towards growth of ultra-fine domain patterns, substantiate the theory by numerical modelling of practical situations and implement the gained understanding using the most widely applied ferroelectric, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, demonstrating controlled stripes of 10 nm wide domains that extend in one direction along tens of micrometres. The observed electrical conductivity along these thin domains embedded in the otherwise insulating film confirms their potential for electronic applications.
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feigl
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yudin
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stolichnov
authors.affiliation: 1] Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland [2] DPMC-MaNEP, University of Geneva, 24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sluka
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shapovalov
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mahamudu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mtebwa
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cosmin S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sandu
authors.affiliation: 1] Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland [2] Peter Grünberg Institute and Ernst Ruska Center for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Research Center Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany.
authors.forename: Xian-Kui
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexander K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tagantsev
authors.affiliation: Ceramics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nava
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Setter