Nanoscale polarization manipulation and imaging of ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett polymer films

Piezoresponse force microscopy has been used to manipulate and image polarization of ferroelectric polymer Langmuir-Blodgett films at the nanoscale, achieving polarization control with a resolution below 50nm and imaging resolution below 5nm. Individual regions showed square polarization-voltage hysteresis loops, demonstrating bistability of the polarization state. Arbitrary polarization patterns could be repeatedly written and erased with a resolution of 25to50nm, limited by grain size, demonstrating the potential for high-density data storage and retrieval at densities exceeding 250Gbits∕in2.