Imaging ferroelectric domains with a single-spin scanning quantum sensor

The ability to sensitively image electric fields is important for understanding many nanoelectronic phenomena, including charge accumulation at surfaces(1) and interfaces(2) and field distributions in active electronic devices(3). A particularly exciting application is the visualization of domain patterns in ferroelectric and nanoferroic materials(4,5), owing to their potential in computing and data storage(6–8). Here, we use a scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) microscope, well known for its use in magnetometry(9), to image domain patterns in piezoelectric (Pb[Zr(0.2)Ti(0.8)]O(3)) and improper ferroelectric (YMnO(3)) materials through their electric fields. Electric field detection is enabled by measuring the Stark shift of the NV spin(10,11) using a gradiometric detection scheme(12). Analysis of the electric field maps allows us to discriminate between different types of surface charge distributions, as well as to reconstruct maps of the three-dimensional electric field vector and charge density. The ability to measure both stray electric and magnetic fields(9,13) under ambient conditions opens opportunities for the study of multiferroic and multifunctional materials and devices(8,14).