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KFM: Fachverband Kristalline Festkörper und deren Mikrostruktur
KFM 28: Focus Session: (Multi-)Ferroic States IV
KFM 28.1: Invited Talk
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 15:00–15:30, EMH 225
Every (ferroelectric) wall is a door - exploring the links between structure, dynamics, and emergent functionalities — •Patrycja Paruch — DQMP, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Ferroelectric materials can host a wide range of unusual structural features, often linked to novel functional properties. One such feature are the domain walls separating regions with different polarisation orientation, providing an intrinsically nanoscale, powerful model system for the rich physics of pinned elastic interfaces. Understanding their structure, geometry, and nonlinear dynamics is key for controlling polarisation switching and domain size, shape, and stability in memory, electro-optic, electro-mechanical and catalytic devices. In addition, at such domain walls the complex interaction between polarisation, electrostatics, and strain can lead to localised chiral polarisation textures, electrical conductivity, local mechanical responses, and charge or chemical segregation, potentially useful for nanoelectronics applications. We use a broad spectrum of primarily scanning probe microscopy techniques, coupled with machine learning analysis to investigate and disentangle the many complex and correlated physical phenomena in these materials. Considering the dual role of defects for both domain wall pinning and local electrical conduction modulation in Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 and PbTiO3 thin films, with both 180∘ and 90∘ domain walls, I will emphasise the interactions between the statistical physics approach and new insights into emergent functional properties at domain walls.
Keywords: domain walls; scanning probe microscopy; disordered elastic systems