Monte Carlo simulations of imprint behavior in ferroelectrics

Abstract

In this letter, Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to investigate the influence of the defect orientation and concentration on the hysteresis loop in ferroelectric thin films. The hysteresis loops were calculated by an existing Monte Carlo model. For a certain type of defect orientation, the simulations revealed an asymmetric hysteresis loop behavior, similar to hysteresis curves recorded by imprint measurements. Though these results may not directly offer a new explanation for the imprint mechanism in ferroelectric thin films, they still provide insight information about the often observed phenomenon of imprinted hysteresis loops of as-prepared thin-film capacitors.