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Atomic scale imaging of competing polar states in a Ruddlesden–Popper layered oxide

Author

Listed:
  • Greg Stone

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Colin Ophus

    (National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Turan Birol

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Jim Ciston

    (National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Che-Hui Lee

    (Pennsylvania State University
    Cornell University)

  • Ke Wang

    (Materials Characterization Laboratory, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University)

  • Craig J. Fennie

    (School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University)

  • Darrell G. Schlom

    (Cornell University
    Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science)

  • Nasim Alem

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Venkatraman Gopalan

    (Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

Layered complex oxides offer an unusually rich materials platform for emergent phenomena through many built-in design knobs such as varied topologies, chemical ordering schemes and geometric tuning of the structure. A multitude of polar phases are predicted to compete in Ruddlesden–Popper (RP), An+1BnO3n+1, thin films by tuning layer dimension (n) and strain; however, direct atomic-scale evidence for such competing states is currently absent. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy with sub-Ångstrom resolution in Srn+1TinO3n+1 thin films, we demonstrate the coexistence of antiferroelectric, ferroelectric and new ordered and low-symmetry phases. We also directly image the atomic rumpling of the rock salt layer, a critical feature in RP structures that is responsible for the competing phases; exceptional quantitative agreement between electron microscopy and density functional theory is demonstrated. The study shows that layered topologies can enable multifunctionality through highly competitive phases exhibiting diverse phenomena in a single structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Greg Stone & Colin Ophus & Turan Birol & Jim Ciston & Che-Hui Lee & Ke Wang & Craig J. Fennie & Darrell G. Schlom & Nasim Alem & Venkatraman Gopalan, 2016. "Atomic scale imaging of competing polar states in a Ruddlesden–Popper layered oxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12572
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12572
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    Cited by:

    1. Leixin Miao & Kishwar-E Hasin & Parivash Moradifar & Debangshu Mukherjee & Ke Wang & Sang-Wook Cheong & Elizabeth A. Nowadnick & Nasim Alem, 2022. "Double-Bilayer polar nanoregions and Mn antisites in (Ca, Sr)3Mn2O7," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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