Stability of Polar Vortex Lattice in Ferroelectric Superlattices

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: . Here, we employ phase-field simulations, analytical theory, and experimental observations to evaluate thermodynamic conditions and geometric length scales that are critical for the formation of such exotic vortex states. We show that the stability of these vortex lattices involves an intimate competition between long-range electrostatic, long-range elastic, and short-range polarization gradient-related interactions leading to both an upper and a lower bound to the length scale at which these states can be observed. We found that the critical length is related to the intrinsic domain wall width, which could serve as a simple intuitive design rule for the discovery of novel ultrafine topological structures in ferroic systems.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04875

Authors: Zijian Hong, Anoop R. Damodaran, Fei Xue, Shang-Lin Hsu, Jason Britson, Ajay K. Yadav, Christopher T. Nelson, Jian-Jun Wang, James F. Scott, Lane W. Martin, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Long-Qing Chen

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of St Andrews

Language: English

Topic: Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Division of Materials Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Army Research Office, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering

OpenAlex ID: W2592153877