Polar bubble domains are complex topological defects akin to magnetic skyrmions that can spontaneously form in ferroelectric thin films and superlattices. They can be deterministically written and deleted and exhibit a set of properties, such as sub-10 nm radius and room-temperature stability, that are highly attractive for dense data storage and reconfigurable nano-electronics technologies. However, possibilities of controlled motion of electric bubble skyrmions, a critical technology requirement currently remains missing. Here we present atomistic simulations that demonstrate how external electric-field perturbations can induce two types of motion of bubble skyrmions in low-dimensional tetragonal PbZr0.4Ti0.6O3 systems under residual depolarizing field. Specifically, we show that, depending on the spatial profile and magnitude of the external field, bubble skyrmions can exhibit either a continuous motion driven by the external electric field gradient or a discontinuous, teleportation-like, skyrmion domain transfer. These findings provide the first analysis of dynamics and controlled motion of polar skyrmions that are essential for functionalization of these particle-like domain structures.
@article{arxiv.2303.13883,
title = {Motion and teleportation of polar bubbles in ultra-thin ferroelectrics},
author = {S. Prokhorenko and Y. Nahas and Q. Zhang and V. Govinden and N. Valanoor and L. Bellaiche},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.13883},
year = {2023}
}