Two-dimensional ferroelectrics

L.M. Blinov^a, V.M. Fridkin^a, S.P. Palto^a, A.V. Bune^b, P.A. Dowben^b, S. Ducharme^b
^aFederal Scientific Research Center "Crystallography and Photonics", Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii prosp. 59, Moscow, 119333, Russian Federaion
^bDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Behlen Laboratory of Physics, Center for Materials Research and Analysis, University of Nebraska-Linkoln, Linkoln, NE, USA

The investigation of the finite-size effect in ferroelectric crystals and films has been limited by the experimental conditions. The smallest demonstrated ferroelectric crystals had a diameter of ~200 Å and the thinnest ferroelectric films were ~200 Å thick, macroscopic sizes on an atomic scale. Langmuir-Blodgett deposition of films one monolayer at a time has produced high quality ferroelectric films as thin as 10 Å, made from polyvinylidene fluoride and its copolymers. These ultrathin films permitted the ultimate investigation of finite-size effects on the atomic thickness scale. Langmuir-Blodgett films also revealed the fundamental two-dimensional character of ferroelectricity in these materials by demonstrating that there is no so-called critical thickness; films as thin as two monolayers (1 nm) are ferroelectric, with a transition temperature near that of the bulk material. The films exhibit all the main properties of ferroelectricity with a first-order ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition: polarization hysteresis (switching); the jump in spontaneous polarization at the phase transition temperature; thermal hysteresis in the polarization; the increase in the transition temperature with applied field; double hysteresis above the phase transition temperature; and the existence of the ferroelectric critical point. The films also exhibit a new phase transition associated with the two-dimensional layers.

PACS: 75.70.−i, 77.80.−e (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU2000v043n03ABEH000639
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2000/3/b/
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000087162100002
Citation: Blinov L M, Fridkin V M, Palto S P, Bune A V, Dowben P A, Ducharme S "Two-dimensional ferroelectrics" Phys. Usp. 43 243–257 (2000)

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PT Journal Article
TI Two-dimensional ferroelectrics
AU Blinov L M
FAU Blinov LM
AU Fridkin V M
FAU Fridkin VM
AU Palto S P
FAU Palto SP
AU Bune A V
FAU Bune AV
AU Dowben P A
FAU Dowben PA
AU Ducharme S
FAU Ducharme S
DP 10 Mar, 2000
TA Phys. Usp.
VI 43
IP 3
PG 243-257
RX 10.1070/PU2000v043n03ABEH000639
URL https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2000/3/b/
SO Phys. Usp. 2000 Mar 10;43(3):243-257

Оригинал: Блинов Л М, Фридкин В М, Палто С П, Буне А В, Даубен П А, Дюшарм С «Двумерные сегнетоэлектрики» УФН 170 247–262 (2000); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0170.200003b.0247