3,359 research outputs found
Direct Measurement of Periodic Electric Forces in Liquids
The electric forces acting on an atomic force microscope tip in solution have
been measured using a microelectrochemical cell formed by two periodically
biased electrodes. The forces were measured as a function of lift height and
bias amplitude and frequency, providing insight into electrostatic interactions
in liquids. Real-space mapping of the vertical and lateral components of
electrostatic forces acting on the tip from the deflection and torsion of the
cantilever is demonstrated. This method enables direct probing of electrostatic
and convective forces involved in electrophoretic and dielectroforetic
self-assembly and electrical tweezer operation in liquid environments
Dynamic Behavior in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy
Frequency dependent dynamic behavior in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM)
implemented on a beam-deflection atomic force microscope (AFM) is analyzed
using a combination of modeling and experimental measurements. The PFM signal
comprises contributions from local electrostatic forces acting on the tip,
distributed forces acting on the cantilever, and three components of the
electromechanical response vector. These interactions result in the bending and
torsion of the cantilever, detected as vertical and lateral PFM signals. The
relative magnitudes of these contributions depend on geometric parameters of
the system, the stiffness and frictional forces of tip-surface junction, and
operation frequencies. The dynamic signal formation mechanism in PFM is
analyzed and conditions for optimal PFM imaging are formulated. The
experimental approach for probing cantilever dynamics using frequency-bias
spectroscopy and deconvolution of electromechanical and electrostatic contrast
is implemented.Comment: 65 pages, 15 figures, high quality version available upon reques
Probing the role of single defects on the thermodynamics of electric-field induced phase transitions
The kinetics and thermodynamics of first order transitions is universally
controlled by defects that act as nucleation sites and pinning centers. Here we
demonstrate that defect-domain interactions during polarization reversal
processes in ferroelectric materials result in a pronounced fine structure in
electromechanical hysteresis loops. Spatially-resolved imaging of a single
defect center in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin film is achieved, and the defect size
and built-in field are determined self-consistently from the single-point
spectroscopic measurements and spatially-resolved images. This methodology is
universal and can be applied to other reversible bias-induced transitions
including electrochemical reactions.Comment: 34 pages,4 figures, high quality figures are available upon request,
submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Experimental observation of parametric X-ray radiation directed along the propagation velocity of relativistic electrons in a tungsten crystal
Parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) due to dynamic diffraction of relativistic electrons is experimentally observed at small angles to the propagation velocity of electrons in a tungsten crystal. The specific features of the experimental method are described, and forward PXR reflections from two crystallographic planes of tungsten are reliably measuredyesBelgorod State Universit
Domain Dynamics in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy: Quantitative Deconvolution and Hysteresis Loop Fine Structure
Domain dynamics in the Piezoresponse Force Spectroscopy (PFS) experiment is
studied using the combination of local hysteresis loop acquisition with
simultaneous domain imaging. The analytical theory for PFS signal from domain
of arbitrary cross-section is developed and used for the analysis of
experimental data on Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 polycrystalline films. The results suggest
formation of oblate domain at early stage of the domain nucleation and growth,
consistent with efficient screening of depolarization field within the
material. The fine structure of the hysteresis loop is shown to be related to
the observed jumps in the domain geometry during domain wall propagation
(nanoscale Barkhausen jumps), indicative of strong domain-defect interactions.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 2 Appendices, to be submmited to Appl. Phys.
Let
Diffraction of real and virtual photons in a pyrolytic graphite crystal as source of intensive quasimonochromatic X-ray beam
A series of experiments on the parametric X-rays radiation (PXR) generation and radiation soft component diffraction of relativistic electrons in pyrolytic graphite (PG) crystals have been carried out at the Tomsk synchrotronyesBelgorod State Universit
Contrast Mechanisms for the Detection of Ferroelectric Domains with Scanning Force Microscopy
We present a full analysis of the contrast mechanisms for the detection of
ferroelectric domains on all faces of bulk single crystals using scanning force
microscopy exemplified on hexagonally poled lithium niobate. The domain
contrast can be attributed to three different mechanisms: i) the thickness
change of the sample due to an out-of-plane piezoelectric response (standard
piezoresponse force microscopy), ii) the lateral displacement of the sample
surface due to an in-plane piezoresponse, and iii) the electrostatic tip-sample
interaction at the domain boundaries caused by surface charges on the
crystallographic y- and z-faces. A careful analysis of the movement of the
cantilever with respect to its orientation relative to the crystallographic
axes of the sample allows a clear attribution of the observed domain contrast
to the driving forces respectively.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
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