Polar-vortex-driven interfacial strain coupling in PbTiO3/SrRuO3 Heterostructures

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Interfacial coupling in oxide heterostructures is a central problem in condensed-matter physics, as it typically emerges at the atomic scale through local interactions mediated by lattice polarization and strain. In this work, we investigate nanoscale polar-supertexture-driven interfacial strain coupling in (PbTiO3)16/(SrRuO3)9/(PbTiO3)16 heterostructures grown on DyScO3(110) substrates. Under appropriate epitaxial strain conditions, the PbTiO3 layers form polar vortex superstructures with a periodicity of approximately 10 nm. We demonstrate that the resulting in-plane nanoscale strain modulation propagates into the SrRuO3 layer. Using element-specific resonant X-ray reflectivity, we probe the nanoscale strain modulations of the strontium and ruthenium sublattices at the interface, revealing strong interfacial strain coupling between the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic layers. These findings provide new insights into engineering nanoscale magnetic modulations through interfacial strain and polarization control.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2608.09815

Authors: Raza, S. A., Stoica, V. A., Zheng, H., Lee, H. G., Ross, A., Saha, U., Chen, L. Q., Martin, L. W., Gopalan, V., Freeland, J. W.

Institutions: Argonne National Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University of California, Berkeley, Rice University

Topic: Multiferroics and related materials

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, Basic Energy Sciences, Army Research Office, Argonne National Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W7202214788