Studies of periodic ferroelectric domains in (formula presented) using high-resolution x-ray scattering and diffraction imaging

A periodically domain-inverted (Formula presented) crystal, in which inverted ferroelectric domains were produced by electric-field poling, has been studied using high-resolution x-ray scattering and diffraction imaging techniques. The degree of perfection of domain inversion as well as the periodic structure has been revealed in high-spatial-resolution images, and the periodic contrast is shown to arise largely from lattice distortions produced in the poled regions. The (Formula presented) dependence of intensity scattered from the domain-inverted structure can be described by a two-component line shape, one with a sharp nearly-pure-Gaussian line, the other with a broad pseudo-Voigt-function profile. A high-angular-resolution method has been combined to elucidate the origin of the two-component profile. The diffuse scattering of the crystal truncation rod along (Formula presented) is observed to follow a power law (Formula presented) with (Formula presented) after poling compared with an average value of (Formula presented) before poling. Discussions of the electric-field poling and its consequence for the domain-inverted structure are presented in terms of the results of x-ray measurements. © 1999 The American Physical Society.