Electromechanical hysteresis loop measurements in piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) [piezoresponse force spectroscopy (PFS)] have emerged as a powerful technique for probing ferroelectric switching behavior on the nanoscale. Interpretation of PFS data requires the relationship between the domain parameters and PFM signal to be established. Here, the authors analyze the switching process using modified point charge model. The charge parameters are selected to reproduce tip-induced surface potential and tip radius of curvature. The relationship between geometric parameters of semiellipsoidal domain and PFM signal is derived using linear Green’s function theory. The role of domain nucleation on hysteresis loop is established.
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Morozovska et al. (2006) studied this question.