Defect-mediated polarization switching in ferroelectrics and related materials: from mesoscopic mechanisms to atomistic control

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Advanced Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200900813· OSTI ID:985754

Kalinin, Sergei V ^[1]; Rodriguez, Brian J ^[1]; Baddorf, Arthur P ^[1]; Balke, Nina ^[1]; Borisevich, Albina Y ^[1]; Chang, Hye Jung ^[1]; Chen, Long-Qing ^[2]; Jesse, Stephen ^[1]; Maksymovych, Petro ^[1]; Nikiforov, Maxim ^[1]; Pennycook, Stephen J ^[1]

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1. ORNL
2. Pennsylvania State University

The plethora of lattice and electronic behaviors in ferroelectric and multiferroic materials and heterostructures opens vistas into novel physical phenomena including magnetoelectric coupling and ferroelectric tunneling. The development of new classes of electronic, energy-storage, and information-technology devices depends critically on understanding and controlling field-induced polarization switching. Polarization reversal is controlled by defects that determine activation energy, critical switching bias, and the selection between thermodynamically equivalent polarization states in multiaxial ferroelectrics. Understanding and controlling defect functionality in ferroelectric materials is as critical to the future of oxide electronics and solid-state electrochemistry as defects in semiconductors are for semiconductor electronics. Here, recent advances in understanding the defect-mediated switching mechanisms, enabled by recent advances in electron and scanning probe microscopy, are discussed. The synergy between local probes and structural methods offers a pathway to decipher deterministic polarization switching mechanisms on the level of a single atomically defined defect.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences; Shared Research Equipment Collaborative Research Center
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 985754
• Journal Information: Advanced Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 22; ISSN 1521-4095; ISSN 0935-9648
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ACTIVATION ENERGY
DEFECTS
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLARIZATION
defects
ferroelectric
polarization switching