Depth profile dependence of domain configuration variations in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 single crystals

The domain structures of (0 0 1)-oriented Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-33% PbTiO3 single crystal have been investigated by polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron acoustic microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy. It was found that an averaged striped macro-domain distributions appears in the full-depth profile of the sample, lamellar domain structures in the subsurface of 2–3 μm depth profile and wavy domain patterns at near surface of ∼10 nm depth profile. These phenomenons demonstrate the presence of a domain complicacy on various depth scales ranging from nanometer to micrometer in the (0 0 1)-oriented PMN-33% PT single crystals.