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Terahertz-Driven Local Dipolar Correlation in a Quantum Paraelectric

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES); SLAC
  2. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  3. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES); Stanford University, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Light-induced ferroelectricity in quantum paraelectrics is a new avenue of achieving dynamic stabilization of hidden orders in quantum materials. In this Letter, we explore the possibility of driving a transient ferroelectric phase in the quantum paraelectric KTaO3 via intense terahertz excitation of the soft mode. We observe a long-lived relaxation in the terahertz-driven second harmonic generation (SHG) signal that lasts up to 20 ps at 10 K, which may be attributed to light-induced ferroelectricity. Through analyzing the terahertz-induced coherent soft-mode oscillation and finding its hardening with fluence well described by a single-well potential, we demonstrate that intense terahertz pulses up to 500 kV=cm cannot drive a global ferroelectric phase in KTaO3. Instead, we find the unusual long-lived relaxation of the SHG signal comes from a terahertz-driven moderate dipolar correlation between the defect-induced local polar structures. We discuss the impact of our findings on current investigations of the terahertz-induced ferroelectric phase in quantum paraelectrics.
Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1969708
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 130; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
dynamical phase transitions
exotic phases of matter
ferroelectricity
high-harmonic generation
insulators
laser techniques
lattice dynamics
photoexcitation
terahertz techniques