In this work, the local conductance of the tetragonal-like (T-like) and rhombohedral-like (R-like) phases of epitaxial BiFeO3 film is systematically studied via conductive atomic force microscopy. At higher tip voltage, there is a mutual transition between the T-like and R-like phases, which could be attributed to the strain relaxation in the T-like phase induced by electric poling, as well as local polarization switching. The T-like phase exhibits a higher conductance, which is related to the lower interface potential barrier between the tip and film surface. Reversible low- and high-current states in the T-like phase can be tuned by polarization switching. These results will be helpful for designing novel nanoelectronic devices, such as voltage and strain sensors.
Keywords: electric poling; local conductance; rhombohedral-like phase; tetragonal-like phase.