The nanodomain pattern in ferroelectric/dielectric superlattices transforms to a uniform polarization state under above-bandgap optical excitation. X-ray scattering reveals a disappearance of domain diffuse scattering and an expansion of the lattice. The reappearance of the domain pattern occurs over a period of seconds at room temperature, suggesting a transformation mechanism in which charge carriers in long-lived trap states screen the depolarization field. A Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire model predicts changes in lattice parameter and a critical carrier concentration for the transformation.
@article{arxiv.1705.01846,
title = {Photoinduced Domain Pattern Transformation in Ferroelectric/Dielectric Superlattices},
author = {Youngjun Ahn and Joonkyu Park and Anastasios Pateras and Matthew B. Rich and Qingteng Zhang and Pice Chen and Mohammed H. Yusuf and Haidan Wen and Matthew Dawber and Paul G. Evans},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.01846},
year = {2017}
}