Domain Wall Conduction in Calcium-Modified Lead Titanate for Polarization Tunable Photovoltaic Devices

Authors

Chong-Xin Qian, Northwest University, Xi’an
Hong-Jian Hong-Jian, Northwest University, Xi’anFollow
Qiang Zhang, Northwest University, Xi’an
Jiawei He, Northwest University, Xi’an
Zi-Xuan Chen, Northwest University, Xi’an
Ming-Zi Wang, Northwest University, Xi’an
Xiao Cheng Zeng, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2020

Citation

Cell Reports Physical Science 1, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2020.100043

Comments

2020 The Author(s).

Abstract

Ferroelectric domain wall (DW) conduction, confirmed in recent experiments, has attracted intense attention due to its promising applications in optoelec- tronic devices. Herein, we provide theoretical evidence of electric conduction in Pb0.8Ca0.2TiO3 (PCT) DWs. The separation of charge accumulation in DWs, corresponding to the electronic conduction-band minimum (CBM) and valence-band maximum (VBM), weakens the tendency for the electron-hole recombination, thereby providing more efficient channels for charge transfer. We fabricate PCT-based functional photovoltaic devices with polarization tunable charge transfer to exploit the combined conduction and ferroelectric properties of the DW. The photovoltaic performance of the devices can be regu- lated by the alternation of ferroelectric domains in PCT, caused by variation of the external poling. Our work broadens the applicability of DW conduction and may inspire the future design of high-performance materials in photovoltaic devices.