Critical field variations for domain-wall motion in ferroelectric/ferroelastic Gd2(MoO4)3

The critical field E/sub c/ for domain-wall motion in ferroelectric/ferroelastic gadolinium molybdate has been studied. Metal-film electrodes were evaporated onto the samples at around room temperature. The measured critical field depends strongly on the particular location X0 of the domain wall before the measurement is made. E/sub c/ tends to be high for wall motion away from X0 and low for motion towards X0. When the wall is shifted from X0 and kept for a time at a new position, E/sub c/ relaxes to a new value in the region traversed by the wall. The average value of E/sub c/ for both directions of motion is 1.4 +- 0.2 kV/cm, essentially uniform in space and constant in time, despite the nonuniform distribution and the relaxation of E/sub c/ for each direction of wall motion