Ferroelectric solitons crafted in epitaxial bismuth ferrite superlattices

Vivasha Govinden, Peiran Tong, Xiangwei Guo, Qi Zhang, Sukriti Mantri, Mohammad Moein Seyfouri, Sergei Prokhorenko, Yousra Nahas, Yongjun Wu, Laurent Bellaiche, Tulai Sun, He Tian (), Zijian Hong (), Nagarajan Valanoor () and Daniel Sando ()
Additional contact information
Vivasha Govinden: University of New South Wales Sydney
Peiran Tong: Zhejiang University
Xiangwei Guo: Zhejiang University
Qi Zhang: University of New South Wales Sydney
Sukriti Mantri: University of Arkansas
Mohammad Moein Seyfouri: University of New South Wales Sydney
Sergei Prokhorenko: University of Arkansas
Yousra Nahas: University of Arkansas
Yongjun Wu: Zhejiang University
Laurent Bellaiche: University of Arkansas
Tulai Sun: Zhejiang University
He Tian: Zhejiang University
Zijian Hong: Zhejiang University
Nagarajan Valanoor: University of New South Wales Sydney
Daniel Sando: University of New South Wales Sydney

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract In ferroelectrics, complex interactions among various degrees of freedom enable the condensation of topologically protected polarization textures. Known as ferroelectric solitons, these particle-like structures represent a new class of materials with promise for beyond-CMOS technologies due to their ultrafine size and sensitivity to external stimuli. Such polarization textures have scarcely been demonstrated in multiferroics. Here, we present evidence for ferroelectric solitons in (BiFeO3)/(SrTiO3) superlattices. High-resolution piezoresponse force microscopy and Cs-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy reveal a zoo of topologies, and polarization displacement mapping of planar specimens reveals center-convergent/divergent topological defects as small as 3 nm. Phase-field simulations verify that some of these structures can be classed as bimerons with a topological charge of ±1, and first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian computations show that the coexistence of such structures can lead to non-integer topological charges, a first observation in a BiFeO3-based system. Our results open new opportunities in multiferroic topotronics.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39841-3

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