High‐Throughput Scanning Second‐Harmonic‐Generation Microscopy for Polar Materials

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2023-05, Vol.35 (19), p.e2300348-n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yuan, Tan, Yangchun, Dong, Yangda, Dai, Liyufen, Ren, Chuanlai, Zhang, Fengyuan, Zeng, Lingping, An, Feng, Li, Changjian, Huang, Boyuan, Zhong, Gaokuo, Li, Jiangyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Barium titanates; Data analysis; Domains; Ferroelectric materials; Ferroelectricity; ferroelectrics; Genomes; high‐throughput analysis; Leakage current; Lithium niobates; Materials science; Materials selection; polar materials; polarization; second‐harmonic generation; Signal generation; Thickness; Thin films
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300348

The Materials Genome Initiative aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and deploy advanced materials at twice the speed of conventional approaches. To achieve this, high‐throughput characterization is essential for the rapid screening of candidate materials. In this study, a high‐throughput scanning second‐harmonic‐generation microscope with automatic partitioning, accurate positioning, and fast scanning is developed that can rapidly probe and screen polar materials. Using this technique, typical ferroelectrics, including periodically poled lithium niobate crystals and PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (PZT) thin films are first investigated, whereby the microscopic domain structures are clearly revealed. This technique is then applied to a compositional‐gradient (100−x)%BaTiO3−x%SrTiO3 film and a thickness‐gradient PZT film to demonstrate its high‐throughput capabilities. Since the second‐harmonic‐generation signal is correlated with the macroscopic remnant polarization over the probed region determined by the laser spot, it is free of artifacts arising from leakage current and electrostatic interference, while materials’ symmetries and domain structures must be carefully considered in the data analysis. It is believed that this work can help promote the high‐throughput development of polar materials and contribute to the Materials Genome Initiative. A high‐throughput scanning second‐harmonic‐generation microscope with automatic partitioning, accurate positioning, and fast scanning is developed. The microscope is capable of rapidly screening high‐throughput polar materials without common artifacts arising from leakage current and electrostatic interference, and is successfully applied to compositional‐gradient as well as thickness‐gradient polar materials to demonstrate its high‐throughput capabilities.