Second Harmonic Generation Investigation of Symmetry Breaking and Flexoelectricity Induced by Nanoindentations in SrTiO3

Strain gradients induced by nanoindentations in bulk undoped strontium titanate (SrTiO3) are investigated. After indenting a 850 nm deep pattern on the SrTiO3 surface with a 8 GPa hardness and an 83 GPa indentation modulus by a Berkovich tip, the resulting deformation patterns are imaged by Raman spectroscopy and by second harmonic generation microscopy. Cross-shaped compressively stressed regions along the cubic SrTiO3 primary slip planes are observed. These zones relax toward the unstrained bulk material through localized strain gradients on a length scale of several microns. Second harmonic tomography reveals the reduction of the crystal's centrosymmetry in the vicinity of the crosslike features due to a strain gradient. These results indicate the appearance of flexoelectricity following the nanoindentation process due to the creation of an inhomogeneous strain.