A scanning force microscope tip is used to write ferroelectric domains in He-implanted single-crystal lithium niobate and subsequently probe them by piezoresponse force microscopy. Investigation of cross-sections of the samples showed that the buried implanted layer, ∼1\,\textmu m below the surface, is non-ferroelectric and can thus act as a barrier to domain growth. This barrier enabled stable surface domains of <1\,\textmu m size to be written in 500\,\textmu m-thick crystal substrates with voltage pulses of only 10\,V applied to the tip.
@article{arxiv.1009.1907,
title = {Low-voltage nanodomain writing in He-implanted lithium niobate crystals},
author = {M. Lilienblum and A. Ofan and Á. Hoffmann and O. Gaathon and L. Vanamurthy and S. Bakhru and H. Bakhru and R. M. Osgood, and E. Soergel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.1907},
year = {2016}
}