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Field enhancement of electronic conductance at ferroelectric domain walls

Author

Listed:
  • Rama K. Vasudevan

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Ye Cao

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Nouamane Laanait

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Anton Ievlev

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Linglong Li

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Jan-Chi Yang

    (National Cheng Kung University)

  • Ying-Hao Chu

    (National Chiao Tung University
    Academia Sinica)

  • Long-Qing Chen

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Sergei V. Kalinin

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Petro Maksymovych

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Abstract

Ferroelectric domain walls have continued to attract widespread attention due to both the novelty of the phenomena observed and the ability to reliably pattern them in nanoscale dimensions. However, the conductivity mechanisms remain in debate, particularly around nominally uncharged walls. Here, we posit a conduction mechanism relying on field-modification effect from polarization re-orientation and the structure of the reverse-domain nucleus. Through conductive atomic force microscopy measurements on an ultra-thin (001) BiFeO3 thin film, in combination with phase-field simulations, we show that the field-induced twisted domain nucleus formed at domain walls results in local-field enhancement around the region of the atomic force microscope tip. In conjunction with slight barrier lowering, these two effects are sufficient to explain the observed emission current distribution. These results suggest that different electronic properties at domain walls are not necessary to observe localized enhancement in domain wall currents.

Suggested Citation

  • Rama K. Vasudevan & Ye Cao & Nouamane Laanait & Anton Ievlev & Linglong Li & Jan-Chi Yang & Ying-Hao Chu & Long-Qing Chen & Sergei V. Kalinin & Petro Maksymovych, 2017. "Field enhancement of electronic conductance at ferroelectric domain walls," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01334-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01334-5
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