Domain shape instabilities and dendrite domain growth in uniaxial ferroelectrics

Abstract

The effects of domain wall shape instabilities and the formation of nanodomains in front of moving walls obtained in various uniaxial ferroelectrics are discussed. Special attention is paid to the formation of self-assembled nanoscale and dendrite domain structures under highly non-equilibrium switching conditions. All obtained results are considered in the framework of the unified kinetic approach to domain structure evolution based on the analogy with first-order phase transformation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘From atomistic interfaces to dendritic patterns’. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.