Imaging of electric-field-induced domain structure in DyMnO nanocrystals

Multiferroic materials that exhibit interacting and coexisting properties, like ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, possess significant potential in the development of novel technologies that can be controlled through the application of external fields. They also exhibit varying regions of polarity, known as domains, with the interfaces that separate the domains referred to as domain walls. In this study, using three-dimensional (3D) bragg coherent diffractive imaging (BCDI), we investigate the dynamics of multiferroic domain walls in a single hexagonal dysprosium manganite (h-DyMnO $$ ) nanocrystal under varying applied electric field. Our analysis reveals that domain wall motion is influenced by the pinning effects, and a threshold voltage of +3 V is required to overcome them. Using circular mean analysis and phase gradient mapping, we identified localised phase realignment and high-gradient regions corresponding to domain walls, providing insights into the behaviour of multiferroic systems under external stimuli.