Domain wall conductivity in oxygen deficient multiferroic YMnO3 single crystals

Authors

Yi Du, University of WollongongFollow
Xiaolin Wang, University of WollongongFollow
Dapeng Chen, University of WollongongFollow
S X. Dou, University of WollongongFollow
Z. Cheng, University of WollongongFollow
Michael J. Higgins, University of WollongongFollow
Gordon G. Wallace, University of WollongongFollow
Jiazhao Wang, Shandong University

RIS ID

44914

Publication Details

Du, Y., Wang, X. L., Chen, D., Dou, S. X., Cheng, Z. X., Higgins, M., Wallace, G. & Wang, J. Y. (2011). Domain wall conductivity in oxygen deficient multiferroic YMnO3 single crystals. Applied Physics Letters, 99 (25), 252107-1-252107-4.

Abstract

The transport properties of domain walls in oxygen deficient multiferroic YMnO3 single crystals have been probed using conductive atomic force microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy. Domain walls exhibit significantly enhanced conductance after being poled in electric fields, possibly induced by oxygen vacancy ordering at domain walls. The electronic conduction can be understood by the Schottky emission and Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling mechanisms. Our results show that the domain wall conductance can be modulated through band structure engineering by manipulating ordered oxygen vacancies in the poling fields.