Atomic mechanism of polarization-controlled surface reconstruction in ferroelectric thin films

Peng Gao (), Heng-Jui Liu, Yen-Lin Huang, Ying-Hao Chu, Ryo Ishikawa, Bin Feng, Ying Jiang, Naoya Shibata, En-Ge Wang and Yuichi Ikuhara ()
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Peng Gao: Electron Microscopy Laboratory, School of Physics, Center for Nanochemistry, Peking University
Heng-Jui Liu: National Chiao Tung University
Yen-Lin Huang: National Chiao Tung University
Ying-Hao Chu: National Chiao Tung University
Ryo Ishikawa: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo
Bin Feng: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo
Ying Jiang: Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter
Naoya Shibata: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo
En-Ge Wang: Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter
Yuichi Ikuhara: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract At the ferroelectric surface, the broken translational symmetry induced bound charge should significantly alter the local atomic configurations. Experimentally revealing the atomic structure of ferroelectric surface, however, is very challenging due to the strong spatial variety between nano-sized domains, and strong interactions between the polarization and other structural parameters. Here, we study surface structures of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 thin film by using the annular bright-field imaging. We find that six atomic layers with suppressed polarization and a charged 180° domain wall are at negatively poled surfaces, no reconstruction exists at positively poled surfaces, and seven atomic layers with suppressed polarization and a charged 90° domain wall exist at nominally neutral surfaces in ferroelastic domains. Our results provide critical insights into engineering ferroelectric thin films, fine grain ceramics and surface chemistry devices. The state-of-the-art methodology demonstrated here can greatly advance our understanding of surface science for oxides.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11318

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