NANOMETER-SCALE IMAGING OF DOMAINS IN FERROELECTRIC THIN-FILMS USING APERTURELESS NEAR-FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPY

Images of nanometer-scale ferroelectric domains in BaxSr1-xTiO3 thin f ilms are obtained with 30 Angstrom spatial resolution using aperturele ss near-field scanning optical microscopy (ANSOM). The images exhibit inhomogeneities in the ferroelectric polarization over the smallest sc ales that can be observed, and are largely uncorrelated with topograph ic features. The application of an in-plane static electric field caus es domain reorientation and domain-wall motion over distances as small as 40 Angstrom. These results demonstrate the promise of ANSOM for im aging near-atomic-scale polarization fluctuations in ferroelectric mat erials. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)00947-4 ].