Flexopiezoelectricity at ferroelastic domain walls in WO3 films

Shinhee Yun, Kyung Song, Kanghyun Chu, Soo-Yoon Hwang, Gi-Yeop Kim, Jeongdae Seo, Chang-Su Woo, Si-Young Choi () and Chan-Ho Yang ()
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Shinhee Yun: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Kyung Song: Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS)
Kanghyun Chu: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Soo-Yoon Hwang: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Gi-Yeop Kim: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Jeongdae Seo: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Chang-Su Woo: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Si-Young Choi: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Chan-Ho Yang: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The emergence of a domain wall property that is forbidden by symmetry in bulk can offer unforeseen opportunities for nanoscale low-dimensional functionalities in ferroic materials. Here, we report that the piezoelectric response is greatly enhanced in the ferroelastic domain walls of centrosymmetric tungsten trioxide thin films due to a large strain gradient of 106 m−1, which exists over a rather wide width (~20 nm) of the wall. The interrelationship between the strain gradient, electric polarity, and the electromechanical property is scrutinized by detecting of the lattice distortion using atomic scale strain analysis, and also by detecting the depolarized electric field using differential phase contrast technique. We further demonstrate that the domain walls can be manipulated and aligned in specific directions deterministically using a scanning tip, which produces a surficial strain gradient. Our findings provide the comprehensive observation of a flexopiezoelectric phenomenon that is artificially controlled by externally induced strain gradients.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18644-w

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