Work

Charge Injection for Polarization Screening at Electrode Interfaces and the Antiferroelectric Double Hysteresis Loop of La‐Doped Pb(Zr,Sn,Ti)O 3

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Polarization screening at electrode interfaces has been the subject of controversial studies. The nature and role of the screening charges, especially when comparing the behavior of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials, are still not entirely clear. In this study, we analyze the polarization screening at electrode interfaces of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric La‐doped by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy with in situ polarization reversal. A variation of the Schottky barrier height at a few nanometer thick and Sn‐doped electrode interfaces, which is caused by an imperfect screening of the polarization, is only observed for samples exhibiting ferroelectricity but not for samples with antiferroelectric hysteresis loops. According to the line shape analysis of the photoelectron spectra, the different screening behavior of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric La‐doped can be assigned to differences in charge injection. Antiferroelectric hysteresis loops are observed if the screening charges are completely injected from the electrode while only partial charge injection is observed into ferroelectric samples. Charge injection could be fundamental to the reversibility of the field‐induced transition from the non‐polar to the polar state of antiferroelectrics.

Source: Advanced Materials Interfaces

DOI: 10.1002/admi.202500671