The persistence of the ground state monoclinic phase ($M$ phase) and the isotropic switching kinetics in hafnium oxide (${\mathrm{HfO}}_2$) remain significant physical puzzles. Here, we reveal that these phenomena are governed by a mechanism of “mutual induction” between lattice distortion modes, linked through the topological connectivity of phonon bands. We show that the spatial reversal of the ferroelectric orthorhombic ($Pca{2}_1$) distortion modes inevitably induces their structural counterparts, which constitute the ground state monoclinic ($P{2}_1/c$) motif, to maintain lattice continuity at the domain boundaries. Using layer-resolved mode decomposition, we demonstrate that the ${180}^{\circ }$ domain wall is not a discrete boundary but a locally reconstructed zone where the $M$ phase is inherently embedded. Energetic calculations indicate that this localized $M$ phase reconstruction creates a deep potential well that pins the domain wall, providing a unified microscopic origin for the isotropic switching kinetics that override the expected crystallographic anisotropy. Our findings establish the domain wall as a structural origin for $M$ phase persistence, offering a physical framework to understand and control the reliability and phase stability of ${\mathrm{HfO}}_2$-based ferroelectrics.

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• Distortions & defects
• Domain walls
• Ferroelectric domains
• Structural properties
• Ferroelectrics
• Transition metal oxides
• Density functional calculations