Advanced Materials, Vol.23, No.30, 3403-3403, 2011
Mechanism of the Switchable Photovoltaic Effect in Ferroelectric BiFeO3
Directions of rectification and photocurrent in a ferroelectric BiFeO3 crystal can be switched by applying high-voltage pulses at room temperature. The switching is highly repeatable though cycling and also stable with time. This switchable photocurrent and diode effect results from the combination of polarization flipping and electromigration of oxygen vacancies.