The remarkable advances achieved in two-dimensional materials are now being directly transposed to low-dimensional oxides. Here we show using first-principles-based atomistic simulations that ultrathin freestanding ferroelectric layers host a rich variety of polar states, from liquid-like ferroelectric domains with long-range orientational order to helix-wave and chiral bubbles configurations reminiscent of those observed in twisted freestanding oxide layers. Time-dependent electric fields enable reversible control, revealing freestanding oxide layers as ideal platforms to explore complex polar states and their potential applications in future ferroic devices.
@article{arxiv.2601.20534,
title = {Switchable Topological Polar Textures in Freestanding Ultrathin Ferroelectric Oxides},
author = {Franco N. Di Rino and Tim Verhagen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.20534},
year = {2026}
}