Field-induced domain interpenetration in tetragonal ferroelectric crystal

The domain interactions in a <001>-oriented lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate tetragonal ferroelectric crystal were examined under cyclic bipolar electric fields. Charged domain walls were created at the intersection near the boundary between two orthogonal sets of domain strip. The direct impingement of individual domains led to domain interpretation and fine domain cells in the boundary region with continued electric cycling. The results show that 90° domains with in-plane polarization vectors formed a full-contact intersection and interpenetration as the nonparallel sets of domain strips approached each other.