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Title: Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions

Abstract

The conducting characteristics of topological defects in the ferroelectric materials, such as charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials, engendered broad interest and extensive study on their scientific merit and the possibility of novel applications utilizing domain engineering. At the same time, the problem of electron transport in ferroelectrics themselves still remains full of unanswered questions, and becomes still more relevant over the impending revival of interest in ferroelectric semiconductors and new improper ferroelectric materials. We have employed self-consistent phase-field modeling to investigate the physical properties of a local metal-ferroelectric (Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3) junction in applied electric field. We revealed an up to 10-fold local field enhancement realized by large polarization gradient and over-polarization effects once the inherent non-linear dielectric properties of PZT are considered. The effect is independent of bias polarity and maintains its strength prior, during and after ferroelectric switching. The local field enhancement can be considered equivalent to increase of doping level, which will give rise to reduction of the switching bias and significantly smaller voltages to charge injection and electronic injection, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences
  2. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), Kiev (Ukraine). Inst. of Physics (ISP)
  3. Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States). Dept. of Material Sciences and Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1212357
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1226773
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-07ER46417; AC0500OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 107; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Phase-field modeling; ferroelectric; nanojunction; electric fields; dielectric thin films; polarization

Citation Formats

Cao, Ye, Ievlev, Anton V., Morozovska, Anna N., Chen, Long-Qing, Kalinin, Sergei V., and Maksymovych, Petro. Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4926329.
Cao, Ye, Ievlev, Anton V., Morozovska, Anna N., Chen, Long-Qing, Kalinin, Sergei V., & Maksymovych, Petro. Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4926329
Cao, Ye, Ievlev, Anton V., Morozovska, Anna N., Chen, Long-Qing, Kalinin, Sergei V., and Maksymovych, Petro. 2015. "Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4926329. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1212357.
@article{osti_1212357,
title = {Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions},
author = {Cao, Ye and Ievlev, Anton V. and Morozovska, Anna N. and Chen, Long-Qing and Kalinin, Sergei V. and Maksymovych, Petro},
abstractNote = {The conducting characteristics of topological defects in the ferroelectric materials, such as charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials, engendered broad interest and extensive study on their scientific merit and the possibility of novel applications utilizing domain engineering. At the same time, the problem of electron transport in ferroelectrics themselves still remains full of unanswered questions, and becomes still more relevant over the impending revival of interest in ferroelectric semiconductors and new improper ferroelectric materials. We have employed self-consistent phase-field modeling to investigate the physical properties of a local metal-ferroelectric (Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3) junction in applied electric field. We revealed an up to 10-fold local field enhancement realized by large polarization gradient and over-polarization effects once the inherent non-linear dielectric properties of PZT are considered. The effect is independent of bias polarity and maintains its strength prior, during and after ferroelectric switching. The local field enhancement can be considered equivalent to increase of doping level, which will give rise to reduction of the switching bias and significantly smaller voltages to charge injection and electronic injection, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4926329},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1212357}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 2,
volume = 107,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 2 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Coupling of electrical and mechanical switching in nanoscale ferroelectrics
journal, November 2015


Dynamic X-ray diffraction imaging of the ferroelectric response in bismuth ferrite
journal, March 2017