Time- and temperature-dependent domain evolutions in poled (111)-cut (Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3)0.7(PbTiO3)0.3 single crystal

Ferroelectric domain evolution in poled (111)-cut (Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3)0.7(PbTiO3)0.3 single crystal has been studied by means of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). A time-dependent development of lamellar ferroelectric domains from a single domain structure of the just-poled sample has been observed, and it reveals that the formation of the lamellar macrodomains is via the accumulation of well-aligned speckle-shaped nanodomains grown from polar nanosized regions (PNRs). The domain evolutions from macrodomain to microdomain, and from ferroelectric to paraelectric phase at different temperatures, have been revealed in temperature-dependent PFM imaging, and the results are consistent with temperature-dependent relative permittivity measurement. PNRs are believed to play a key role in the domain evolution of depolarization process.