Related papers: Local control of improper ferroelectric domains in…
Reversible ferroelectric domain wall movements beyond the 10 nm range associated with Rayleigh behavior are usually restricted to specific defect-engineered systems. Here, we demonstrate that such long-range movements naturally occur in the…
While defects are unavoidable in crystals and often detrimental to material performance, they can be a key ingredient for inducing functionalities when tailored. Here, we demonstrate that an A-site-deficient perovskite Y$_{1/3}$TaO$_3$…
Ferroelectric polarization switching underpins the functional performance of a wide range of materials and devices, yet its dependence on complex local microstructural features renders systematic exploration by manual or grid-based…
By means of first-principles simulations, we unambiguously show that improper ferroelectricity in magnetite in the low-temperature insulating phase is driven by charge-ordering. An accurate comparison between monoclinic ferroelectric Cc and…
First-principles calculations are presented for the layered perovskite Ca$_3$Mn$_2$O$_7$. The results reveal a rich set of coupled structural, magnetic and polar domains in which oxygen octahedron rotations induce ferroelectricity,…
Interfacial ferroelectricity offers a promising platform for ultrafast, low-power memory devices. While previous studies have demonstrated the importance of domain wall in polarization switching, the coexistence of various domain wall types…
We identify hexagonal YMnO$_3$ as a material realization of the elusive $\beta$-phase of unconventional magnetism, a noncollinear, noncoplanar antiferromagnetic state defined by intrinsic spin-momentum locking and a topological spin…
Antiferroelectrics are emerging as advanced functional materials and are fertile ground for unusual electric effects. For example, they enhance the recoverable energy density in energy storage applications and give rise to large…
Materials with long-range order like ferromagnetism or ferroelectricity exhibit uniform, yet differently oriented three-dimensional regions called domains that are separated by two-dimensional topological defects termed domain…
The switching of electric polarization induced by electric fields -a fundamental functionality of ferroelectrics- is closely associated with the motions of the domain walls that separate regions with distinct polarization directions.…
The switching characteristics of ferroelectrics and multiferroics are influenced by the interaction of topological defects with domain-walls. We report on the pinning of polarization due to antiphase boundaries in thin films of the…
The kinetics and thermodynamics of first order transitions is universally controlled by defects that act as nucleation sites and pinning centers. Here we demonstrate that defect-domain interactions during polarization reversal processes in…
By an electrical-pump--optical-probe technique we show that the electric-field-induced reversal of the magnetic order parameter in multiferroic MnWO$_4$ occurs on the time scale of milliseconds and maintains a rigid coupling of the…
There has been tremendous research activity in the field of magneto-electric (ME) multiferroics after Kimura et al. [1] showed that antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric order coexist in orthorhom- bically distorted perovskite TbMnO3 and are…
Ferroic transition metal oxides, which exhibit spontaneous elastic, electrical, magnetic or toroidal order, exhibit functional properties that find use in ultrastable solid-state memories to sensors and medical imaging technologies. To…
The direction of ferroelectric polarization is prescribed by the symmetry of the crystal structure. Therefore, rotation of the polarization direction is largely limited, despite the opportunity it offers in understanding important…
Magneto-electric multiferroics exemplified by TbMnO3 possess both magnetic and ferroelectric long-range order. The magnetic order is mostly understood, whereas the nature of the ferroelectricity has remained more elusive. Competing models…
We employ neutron spherical polarimetry to determine the nature and population of the coexisting antiferromagnetic domains in multiferroic YMn2O5. By applying an electric field, we prove that reversing the electrical polarization results in…
Engineering of ferroelectric domain structures enables direct control over the switching dynamics and is crucial for tuning the functional properties of ferroelectrics for various applications, ranging from capacitors to future…
Cross-correlation between magnetic and dielectric properties has been attracting renewed interest because of the fundamental as well as technological importance of controlling the electric (magnetic) polarization by an external magnetic…