Nature Nanotechnology ( IF 38.1 ) Pub Date : 2024-09-26 , DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01792-1 Marti Checa, Bharat Pant, Alexander Puretzky, Bogdan Dryzhakov, Rama K. Vasudevan, Yongtao Liu, Pravin Kavle, Arvind Dasgupta, Lane W. Martin, Ye Cao, Liam Collins, Stephen Jesse, Neus Domingo, Kyle P. Kelley
Hierarchical assemblies of ferroelectric nanodomains, so-called super-domains, can exhibit exotic morphologies that lead to distinct behaviours. Controlling these super-domains reliably is critical for realizing states with desired functional properties. Here we reveal the super-switching mechanism by using a biased atomic force microscopy tip, that is, the switching of the in-plane super-domains, of a model ferroelectric Pb0.6Sr0.4TiO3. We demonstrate that the writing process is dominated by a super-domain nucleation and stabilization process. A complex scanning-probe trajectory enables on-demand formation of intricate centre-divergent, centre-convergent and flux-closure polar structures. Correlative piezoresponse force microscopy and optical spectroscopy confirm the topological nature and tunability of the emergent structures. The precise and versatile nanolithography in a ferroic material and the stability of the generated structures, also validated by phase-field modelling, suggests potential for reliable multi-state nanodevice architectures and, thereby, an alternative route for the creation of tunable topological structures for applications in neuromorphic circuits.
中文翻译:
面内铁电拓扑的按需纳米工程
铁电纳米域的分层组装,即所谓的超级域,可以表现出奇异的形态,从而导致不同的行为。可靠地控制这些超域对于实现具有所需功能特性的状态至关重要。在这里,我们通过使用偏置原子力显微镜尖端揭示了超切换机制,即模型铁电 Pb 0.6 Sr 0.4 TiO 3的面内超域的切换。我们证明了写入过程由超域成核和稳定过程主导。复杂的扫描探针轨迹能够按需形成复杂的中心发散、中心会聚和通量闭合极性结构。相关压响应力显微镜和光学光谱证实了新兴结构的拓扑性质和可调性。铁质材料中精确且通用的纳米光刻技术以及所生成结构的稳定性(也通过相场建模进行了验证)表明了可靠的多态纳米器件架构的潜力,从而为创建应用的可调谐拓扑结构提供了另一种途径在神经形态电路中。