%0 Journal Article
%K Thin films
%K Film growth
%K Polarization
%K Bismuth compounds
%K Single crystals
%K Ferroelectric switching
%K Electric field effects
%K Magnetic domains
%K Microscopic examination
%K Piezoelectric force microscopy (PEM)
%K Epitaxial electrodes
%K Magnetoelectric domain imaging
%A P Shafer
%A F Zavaliche
%A Y.-H Chu
%A P.-L Yang
%A M.P Cruz
%A Ramamoorthy Ramesh
%B Applied Physics Letters
%D 2007
%G eng
%I American Institute of Physics Inc.
%R 10.1063/1.2741046
%T Planar electrode piezoelectric force microscopy to study electric polarization switching in BiFe O3
%V 90
%X Piezoelectric force microscopy has been enhanced by coplanar epitaxial electrodes to detect and manipulate the striped ferroelectric domain structure of a multiferroic BiFe O3 thin film grown on single-crystalline DySc O3. Time-resolved imaging revealed ferroelastic (71° and 109°) switching of domains in a needlelike region that grew from one electrode toward the other in a uniform electric field, and demonstrated reversible rotation of the 71° domain stripe orientation in a nonuniform field. Purely ferroelectric (180°) switching was suppressed by the geometry of the electrodes. The extendibility of this apparatus opens the door toward magnetoelectric domain imaging. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.