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Local negative permittivity and topological phase transition in polar skyrmions

Journal Article · · Nature Materials
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [6];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [6];  [6];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [7];  [7];  [7];  [8];  [8] more »;  [1];  [9];  [7];  [6];  [8];  [3];  [1];  [10];  [11];  [11] « less
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
  3. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
  4. Luxembourg Inst. of Science and Technology (LIST), Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg); Univ. of Luxembourg, Belvaux (Luxembourg); Univ. of Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria (Spain)
  5. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
  6. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States)
  7. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
  8. Univ. of Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria (Spain)
  9. Luxembourg Inst. of Science and Technology (LIST), Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg); Univ. of Luxembourg, Belvaux (Luxembourg)
  10. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Ithaca, NY (United States)
  11. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Topological solitons such as magnetic skyrmions have drawn attention as stable quasi-particle-like objects. The recent discovery of polar vortices and skyrmions in ferroelectric oxide superlattices has opened up new vistas to explore topology, emergent phenomena and approaches for manipulating such features with electric fields. Using macroscopic dielectric measurements, coupled with direct scanning convergent beam electron diffraction imaging on the atomic scale, theoretical phase-field simulations and second-principles calculations, we demonstrate that polar skyrmions in (PbTiO3)n/(SrTiO3)n superlattices are distinguished by a sheath of negative permittivity at the periphery of each skyrmion. This enhances the effective dielectric permittivity compared with the individual SrTiO3and PbTiO3 layers. Moreover, the response of these topologically protected structures to electric field and temperature shows a reversible phase transition from the skyrmion state to a trivial uniform ferroelectric state, accompanied by large tunability of the dielectric permittivity. Pulsed switching measurements show a time-dependent evolution and recovery of the skyrmion state (and macroscopic dielectric response). The interrelationship between topological and dielectric properties presents an opportunity to simultaneously manipulate both by a single, and easily controlled, stimulus, the applied electric field. Polar skyrmions are topologically protected structures that can exist in (PbTiO3)n/(SrTiO3)n superlattices. Here, it is shown that they have negative permittivity at the surface, and that they can undergo a reversible phase transition with large dielectric tunability under an electric field.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Luxembourg National Research Fund; National Science Foundation (NSF); Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; AC02-06CH11357; SC0012375; SC0020145
OSTI ID:
1785717
Journal Information:
Nature Materials, Journal Name: Nature Materials Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 20; ISSN 1476-1122
Publisher:
Springer Nature - Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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