American Institute of Physics, Applied Physics Letters, 20(96), p. 202902
DOI: 10.1063/1.3431585
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Reversible plasma switching in epitaxial multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films was directly observed and analyzed using piezoresponse force microscopy. The polarization could be reversibly switched using oxygen plasma and a subsequent thermal annealing treatment in vacuum, respectively. The domain wall velocity during plasma switching, estimated to about 10-8 m/s, is much slower compared to the normal electrical switching, however a large area of square centimeter scale could be stably switched. The results demonstrate that reversible plasma switching can be achieved by oxygen plasma treatment and it can be a useful tool for an electrode-less control of ferroelectric switching on large area.