An Electronic Bucket Brigade (IMAGE)

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

An Electronic Bucket Brigade

Caption

At top, domains with opposite electrical polarization, averaging about 140 nanometers wide and separated by walls 2 nanometers thick, form a well-aligned array in a thin film of bismuth ferrite. When illuminated, electrons collect on one side of the walls and holes on the other, driving the current at right angles to the walls. Voltage increases as excess electrons accumulate stepwise from domain to domain.

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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