Merz-Type Polarization Kinetics in Hydrogen Bonded Organic Molecular Ferroelectrics

The polarization switching dynamics of a hydrogen bonded organic molecular (2-methylbenzimidazole, MBI) thin film were systematically investigated to understand the ferroelectric behavior in soft molecular systems. Previously demonstrated in-plane ferroelectric geometry using interdigitated electrodes [1] was employed for time-resolved switching measurements over the temperature range of 200–294 K. The characteristic switching time, t₀ was found to follow a Merz-type field dependence, t₀ =t_∞ exp(δ/E).The activation field parameter,δ exhibits a linear increase with 1/T, consistent with thermally activated domain-wall motion [2]. The dependence of the switching exponent n on electric field and temperature provides further insight into the nucleation-limited switching mechanism in molecular ferroelectrics [2]. These results establish a quantitative framework for understanding field-driven polarization reversal in soft molecular ferroelectric systems and highlight their potential for temperature-tunable device applications.

[1] Y. Yuan et al., Cryst. Growth Des. 22, 2124 (2022).

[2] T. D. Cornelissen et al., Phys. Rev. B 101, 214301 (2020).