Topological Defects with Distinct Dipole Configurations in ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ Multilayer Films

Topological Defects with Distinct Dipole Configurations in ${PbTiO}_{3} / {SrTiO}_{3}$ Multilayer Films

Lu Lu, Yousra Nahas, Ming Liu, Hongchu Du, Zhijun Jiang, Shengping Ren, Dawei Wang, Lei Jin, Sergei Prokhorenko, Chun-Lin Jia, and Laurent Bellaiche

Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 177601 – Published 23 April 2018

Abstract

Distinct and novel features of nanometric electric topological defects, including dipole waves and dipole disclinations, are presently revealed in the ${PbTiO}_{3}$ layers of ${PbTiO}_{3} / {SrTiO}_{3}$ multilayer films by means of quantitative high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. These original dipole configurations are confirmed and explained by atomistic simulations and have the potential to act as functional elements in future electronics.

Received 17 November 2017
Revised 9 February 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.177601

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Domains Topological defects

Ferroelectrics Thin films

Electron microscopy First-principles calculations Laser ablation Monte Carlo methods

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Lu Lu¹, Yousra Nahas², Ming Liu¹, Hongchu Du^3,4, Zhijun Jiang^1,2, Shengping Ren¹, Dawei Wang¹, Lei Jin³, Sergei Prokhorenko², Chun-Lin Jia^1,3,*, and Laurent Bellaiche^2,†

¹School of Electronic and Information Engineering and State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
²Physics Department and Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
³Ernst Ruska-Center for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
⁴Central Facility for Electron Microscopy (GFE), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany