Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films
Abstract Oxygen vacancy in oxide ferroelectrics can be strongly coupled to the polar order via local strain and electric fields, thus holding the capability of producing and stabilizing exotic polarization patterns. However, despite intense theoretical studies, an explicit microscopic picture to cor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | npj Quantum Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00349-y |
| _version_ | 1818978783252709376 |
|---|---|
| author | Wei Peng Junsik Mun Qidong Xie Jingsheng Chen Lingfei Wang Miyoung Kim Tae Won Noh |
| author_facet | Wei Peng Junsik Mun Qidong Xie Jingsheng Chen Lingfei Wang Miyoung Kim Tae Won Noh |
| author_sort | Wei Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Oxygen vacancy in oxide ferroelectrics can be strongly coupled to the polar order via local strain and electric fields, thus holding the capability of producing and stabilizing exotic polarization patterns. However, despite intense theoretical studies, an explicit microscopic picture to correlate the polarization pattern and the distribution of oxygen vacancies remains absent in experiments. Here we show that in a high-quality, uniaxial ferroelectric system, i.e., compressively strained BaTiO3 ultrathin films (below 10 nm), nanoscale polarization structures can be created by intentionally introducing oxygen vacancies in the film while maintaining structure integrity (namely no extended lattice defects). Using scanning transmission electron microscopy, we reveal that the nanodomain is composed of swirling electric dipoles in the vicinity of clustered oxygen vacancies. This finding opens a new path toward the creation and understanding of the long-sought topological polar objects such as vortices and skyrmions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T16:49:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa18c281c99e4763aa41d16ef8b5d264 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-4648 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T16:49:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Quantum Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa18c281c99e4763aa41d16ef8b5d2642022-12-21T19:32:52ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Materials2397-46482021-05-01611810.1038/s41535-021-00349-yOxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric filmsWei Peng0Junsik Mun1Qidong Xie2Jingsheng Chen3Lingfei Wang4Miyoung Kim5Tae Won Noh6Center for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic ScienceCenter for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic ScienceDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of SingaporeHefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of ChinaCenter for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic ScienceCenter for Correlated Electron Systems, Institute for Basic ScienceAbstract Oxygen vacancy in oxide ferroelectrics can be strongly coupled to the polar order via local strain and electric fields, thus holding the capability of producing and stabilizing exotic polarization patterns. However, despite intense theoretical studies, an explicit microscopic picture to correlate the polarization pattern and the distribution of oxygen vacancies remains absent in experiments. Here we show that in a high-quality, uniaxial ferroelectric system, i.e., compressively strained BaTiO3 ultrathin films (below 10 nm), nanoscale polarization structures can be created by intentionally introducing oxygen vacancies in the film while maintaining structure integrity (namely no extended lattice defects). Using scanning transmission electron microscopy, we reveal that the nanodomain is composed of swirling electric dipoles in the vicinity of clustered oxygen vacancies. This finding opens a new path toward the creation and understanding of the long-sought topological polar objects such as vortices and skyrmions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00349-y |
| spellingShingle | Wei Peng Junsik Mun Qidong Xie Jingsheng Chen Lingfei Wang Miyoung Kim Tae Won Noh Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films npj Quantum Materials |
| title | Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| title_full | Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| title_fullStr | Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| title_short | Oxygen vacancy-induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| title_sort | oxygen vacancy induced topological nanodomains in ultrathin ferroelectric films |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00349-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weipeng oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT junsikmun oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT qidongxie oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT jingshengchen oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT lingfeiwang oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT miyoungkim oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms AT taewonnoh oxygenvacancyinducedtopologicalnanodomainsinultrathinferroelectricfilms |