Domain Topology and Domain Switching Kinetics in a Hybrid Improper Ferroelectric

Abstract

Charged polar interfaces such as charged ferroelectric domain walls or heterostructured interfaces of ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O and LaAlO3/SrTiO3, across which the normal component of electric polarization changes suddenly, can host large two-dimensional conduction. Charged ferroelectric walls, which are energetically unfavorable in general, were found to be mysteriously abundant in hybrid improper ferroelectric (Ca,Sr)3Ti2O7 crystals. From the exploration of antiphase boundaries in bilayer-perovskites, we discover that each of four polarization-direction states is degenerated with two antiphase domains, and these eight structural variants form a Z4xZ2 domain structure with Z3 vortices and five distinct types of domain walls, whose topology is directly relevant to the presence of abundant charged walls. We also discover a zipper-like nature of antiphase boundaries; they are the reversible creation/annihilation centers of pairs of two types of ferroelectric walls (and also Z3-vortex pairs) in 90 and 180 degree polarization switching. Our results demonstrate the unexpectedly rich nature of hybrid improper ferroelectricity.

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Cited by in corpus (18)

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• Domains and ferroelectric switching pathways in Ca${}_3$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$ from first principles
• Topological defects at octahedral tilting plethora in bi-layered perovskites
• Highly tunable ferroelectricity in hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr3Sn2O7
• Infrared nano-spectroscopy of ferroelastic domain walls in hybrid improper ferroelectric Ca${}_3$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$
• Soft tilt and rotational modes in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Ca${}_3$Mn${}_2$O${}_7$
• A new symmetry-based framework for discovering minimum energy pathways
• Contact-free reversible switching of improper ferroelectric domains by electron and ion irradiation
• From first- to second-order phase transitions in hybrid improper ferroelectrics through entropy stabilisation
• Negative piezoelectricity in quasi-two/one-dimensional ferroelectrics
• Perspective on 2D perovskite ferroelectrics and multiferroics
• Polarization switching induced by domain wall sliding in two-dimensional ferroelectric monochalcogenides
• Ferroelectric Switching Pathways and Domain Structure of SrBi${}_2$(Ta,Nb)${}_2$O${}_9$ from First Principles
• Charged domain walls and crystallographic microstructures in hybrid improper ferroelectric Ca${}_{3-x}$Sr${}_x$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$
• Evolution of topological defects at two sequential phase transitions of Nd2SrFe2O7
• Switchable Polarization in an A-site Deficient Perovskite through Vacancy and Cation Engineering
• Stabilization of layered perovskite structures via strontium substitution in Ca${}_3$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$ revealed via elemental mapping
• Charged domain boundaries stabilized by translational symmetry breaking in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Ca${}_{3-x}$Sr${}_x$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$