Domain Walls (IMAGE)

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Domain Walls

Caption

Bismuth ferrite is an insulator, but different domains may have different electrical polarizations. The position of the central iron atom and the displacement of the bismuth atoms in each cubic cell determine the polarization of the domain. In this transmission electron image, structural changes appear near and inside the wall. As a consequence, the domain walls themselves (along dotted line), which are just two nanometers wide, can conduct electricity at room temperature.

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratoy, UC Berkeley

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