Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: Interfaces play a critical role in nanoscale ferroelectricity. We perform a first-principles study of ultrathin KNbO(3) ferroelectric films placed between two metal electrodes, either SrRuO(3) or Pt. We show that bonding at the ferroelectric-metal interfaces imposes severe constraints on the displacement of atoms, destroying the bulk tetragonal soft mode. If the interface bonding is sufficiently strong, the ground-state represents a ferroelectric domain with an interface domain wall, driven by the intrinsic oppositely oriented dipole moments at the two interfaces. The critical thickness for the net polarization of the KNbO(3) film is predicted to be about 1 nm for Pt and 1.8 nm for SrRuO(3) electrodes.
Source: Nano Letters
DOI: 10.1021/nl052452l
Institution: University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Division of Materials Research
OpenAlex ID: W1542593015