In Situ Observation of the Phase Transition of a Ferroelectric Triglycine Sulfate Crystal by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

Abstract

The second-order phase transition in a ferroelectric triglycine sulfate crystal is studied in situ by piezoresponse force microscopy. For the first time, the formation of a metastable one-dimensional quasiperiodic polarized structure is observed in the critical region of the phase transition, within one degree near the Curie temperature. Via image processing, the temperature dependence of the parameters of the quasiperiodic structure is studied. At a temperature exceeding the phase-transition point by one degree or more, the usual domain structure is formed, the width of the domains and the spread of the widths with respect to their mean value increase significantly.