Lattice-Rotation Vortex at the Charged Monoclinic Domain Boundary in a Relaxor Ferroelectric Crystal

We present evidence of lattice-rotation vortices having an average radius of similar to 7 nm at the ferroelectric domain boundary of (1-x)Pb(Zn-1/3 Nb-2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) (x = 0.08). Maps of crystal orientations and domain symmetry breaking are obtained using scanning convergent beam electron diffraction, which show fractional rotation vortices near the 50 degrees monoclinic domain walls. The merging of 2D and 1D topological defects is consistent with inhomogeneous boundary charge and expected to have a large impact on the domain-switching mechanisms in relaxor ferroelectric crystals and ferroelectric devices.