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Ferroelectric phase transitions induced by a strain gradient

P. Yudin1,2,*, J. Duchon1, O. Pacherova1, M. Klementova1, T. Kocourek1, A. Dejneka1, and M. Tyunina1,3,†

  • 1Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Praha 8, Czech Republic
  • 2Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science, Lavrent’eva Ave. 1, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
  • 3Microelectronics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4500, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland

  • *yudin@fzu.cz
  • †marina.tjunina@oulu.fi
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Phys. Rev. Research 3, 033213 – Published 3 September, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.033213

Abstract

In perovskite oxide ferroelectrics, gradients of lattice strain are known to induce nanoscale topological structures, leading to novel or enhanced functionality. Here, we experimentally detect and theoretically analyze thickness distribution of structural properties in epitaxial Pb0.5Sr0.5TiO3 films grown on (001) SrTiO3 substrates. We show that the relaxation of substrate-imposed stress produces a strain gradient, which leads to the formation of distinct ferroelectric phases as a function of distance from the film-substrate interface within the same film. Charge carriers trapped at phase boundaries stabilize the induced phases and manifest themselves under electric field. Crosstalk between the phases, where polarization may rotate in one phase and invert in the other one, opens perspectives for advanced ferroelectric thin film devices.

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Phys. Rev. Research 3, 033213– Published 3 September, 2021
  • Received 9 December 2020
  • Revised 28 July 2021
  • Accepted 30 July 2021
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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