Determination of Young’s Modulus in Triglycine Sulfate Crystals with Layered Impurity Distribution

A technique for studying the local elastic properties of inhomogeneous ferroelectrics has been proposed by the example of growth striations in triglycine sulfate crystals, layer-by-layer doped with chromium and L -α-alanine impurities. The data on the width and impurity compositions of stripes were obtained by X-ray fluorescence analysis and X-ray topography. The positions of the boundaries of the stripes emerging at the surface and the domain structure morphology were determined by the methods of correlation electrical atomic-force microscopy. The force curves were measured and Young’s moduli were calculated for impurity-free and doped crystal stripes using contact atomic-force spectroscopy. The introduction of impurity decreases Young’s modulus: the difference was found to be 20–25 and 12–14% for chromium and L -α-alanine, respectively.