In-plane Quasi-single-domain BaTiO₃ via Interfacial Symmetry Engineering

Authors

J. W. Lee, University of Wisconsin-Madison
K. Eom, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tula R. Paudel, South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyFollow
B. Wang, Pennsylvania State University
Haidong Lu, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
H. X. Huyan, University of California, Irvine
S. Lindemann, University of Wisconsin-Madison
S. Ryu, University of Wisconsin-Madison
H. Lee, University of Wisconsin-Madison
T. H. Kim, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Y. Yuan, Pennsylvania State University
J. A. Zorn, Pennsylvania State University
W. P. Gao, University of California, Irvine
Thomas Tybell, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
V. Gopalan, Pennsylvania State University
X. Q. Pan, University of California, Irvine
Alexei Gruverman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
L. Q. Chen, Pennsylvania State University
Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Chang-Beom Eom, University of Wisconsin-MadisonFollow

ORCID IDs

K. Eom http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8114-609X

Paudel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9952-9435

Wang http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3146-5559

Lu http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0580-0229

Yuan http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7384-9767

Tybell http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0787-8476

Gopalan http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6866-3677

Pan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0965-8568

Gruverman http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0492-2750

Chen http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3359-3781

Tsymbal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6728-5480

C.-B. Eom http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8854-1439

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2021

Citation

Nature Communications (2021) 12: 6784

doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26660-7

Supplemental materials are available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26660-7

Comments

Copyright 2021, the authors. Open access

License: CC BY 4.0 International

Abstract

The control of the in-plane domain evolution in ferroelectric thin films is not only critical to understanding ferroelectric phenomena but also to enabling functional device fabrication. However, in-plane polarized ferroelectric thin films typically exhibit complicated multidomain states, not desirable for optoelectronic device performance. Here we report a strategy combining interfacial symmetry engineering and anisotropic strain to design singledomain, in-plane polarized ferroelectric BaTiO₃ thin films. Theoretical calculations predict the key role of the BaTiO₃/PrScO₃ (110)_O substrate interfacial environment, where anisotropic strain, monoclinic distortions, and interfacial electrostatic potential stabilize a single-variant spontaneous polarization. A combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy, piezoresponse force microscopy, ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurements, and second harmonic generation measurements directly reveals the stabilization of the in-plane quasi-single-domain polarization state. This work offers design principles for engineering in-plane domains of ferroelectric oxide thin films, which is a prerequisite for high performance optoelectronic devices.