Mesoscopic structures in two-dimensional ferroelectric polymers

Abstract

Abstract Unique insight into the nature of ferroelectricity is emerging from the study of the first two-dimensional ferroelectric films, which are made by Langmuir-Blodgett deposition of vinylidene fluoride copolymers. These films are the first truly two-dimensional ferroelectrics, with thickness-independent bulk ferroelectric properties and a separate surface phase transition. The films offer a unique system for the study the relationship between ferroelectric properties and mesoscopic structure. The structure at all length scales was probed using complementary techniques: X-ray and neutron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electric field microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, angle-resolved inverse photoemission spectroscopy, infrared ellipsometry, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical polarization microscopy. We also introduce new results from dynamic pyroelectric scanning microscopy.