Work

Transient Terahertz Oscillations During Photoinduced Polarization Topology Reconfiguration in Ferroelectric Superlattices

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Terahertz resonances embedded in crystalline heterostructures could close a spectral gap between conventional electronics and photonics while opening new windows on phenomena in non‐equilibrium lattice dynamics. We show that femtosecond optical screening of the depolarization field in epitaxial PbTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 superlattices launches a collective polar mode that oscillates near 1 THz and coherently spans the entire mini‐Brillouin zone. Wave‐vector‐resolved pump–probe X‐ray diffraction resolves a nearly dispersion‐less oscillation at 0.87 and 0.94 THz at the zone boundary and zone center, respectively, persisting for ∼2.5 ps, corresponding to a weakly damped resonance. Dynamical phase‐field simulations reveal the origin of the mode to mesoscopic rotation of closure‐domain textures during the photoexcited transition from an unscreened to a screened electrostatic state. Varying the PbTiO 3 and SrTiO 3 ratio tunes the mode frequency continuously from 0.9 to 1.4 THz, providing a quantitative design rule for frequency‐selectable THz oscillators in ferroelectric heterostructures. By coupling nanoscale polarization reconfiguration to long‐wavelength coherent dynamics, this work establishes depolarization‐field engineering to topology‐driven THz functionality and expanding the landscape of collective lattice dynamics.

Source: Advanced Science

DOI: 10.1002/advs.202522387

Authors: Deepankar Sri Gyan, Hyeon Jun Lee, Xiangwei Guo, Youngjun Ahn, Samuel D. Marks, Mohammed H. Yusuf, Matthew Dawber, James M. Glownia, Diling Zhu, Takahiro Sato, Sanghoon Song, Haidan Wen, Jia‐Mian Hu, Paul G. Evans

Institutions: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Kangwon National University, Argonne National Laboratory, Stony Brook University, University of Vermont, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Linac Coherent Light Source

Language: English

Topic: Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,730

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Division of Materials Research, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Basic Energy Sciences, Argonne National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Awards: G102163711, G107546177, G1229526393, G1286251239, G1313983767, In-situ X-ray Scattering Studies of Oxide Epitaxial Growth Kinetics and Dynamics, G1453181110, G1664757510, Track 4: Advanced CI Coordination Ecosystem: Monitoring and Measurement Services, G1916204958, G2022316211, G222768804, G2287611682, G2371548206, G262532246, G262962599, G3015420447, G303061748, G3075337988, G3406661761, G3562386289, G3589692066, Track 1: ACCESS Resource Allocations Marketplace and Platform Services (RAMPS), G4010157413, G4235786860, G426311843, G4269941704, ACO: An Open CI Ecosystem to Advance Scientific Discovery (OpenCI), G495301720, G498139845, Track 3: COre National Ecosystem for CyberinfrasTructure (CONECT), G513797252, G5212984984, G5367127336, G5387317844, G5464919783, G5570207115, G559311971, G5648016710, G6024187025, G6121277264, G618388848, G6550344761, G6848031779, G6918803902, G6965887028, PICOSECOND DYNAMICS IN COMPLEX OXIDE NANOSTRUCTURES, A NANOSCALE TIME RESOLVED APPROACH TO FERROELECTRIC POLARIZATION SWITCHING, G7283024673, G7583137537, PICOSECOND DYNAMICS IN COMPLEX OXIDE NANOSTRUCTURES, G8174472116, Track 2: Customized Multi-tier Assistance, Training, and Computational Help (MATCH) for End User ACCESS to CI, CAREER: Hidden Topological Polar Phases Created by Ultrafast Acoustic Excitation, G8382000481, Interface Structure and Dynamics in Multiferroic Phase Transformations, G8936547428, G911061179, G969889393, G993149817

OpenAlex ID: W7127400719

FWCI:

Cites: 44

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