Related papers: "Double-path" ferroelectrics and the sign of the p…
Ferroelectric HfO$_2$ has emerged as a highly promising material for high-density nonvolatile memory and nanoscale transistor applications. However, the uncertain origin of polarization in HfO$_2$ limits our ability to fully understand and…
In this work, we carry out first-principles calculations and lattice mode analysis to investigate the polarization switching mechanism in HfO$_2$. Because the stability of the polar orthorhombic $Pca2_1$ phase of HfO$_2$ arises from a…
We report two series of structures representing two types of $180^\circ$ ferroelectric domain walls in $\mathrm{HfO_2}$ and $\mathrm{ZrO_2}$. We model the domain structures with different width by density functional theory calculations. The…
HfO$_{2}$-based ferroelectric thin films are promising for their application in ferroelectric devices. Predicting the ultimate magnitude of polarization and understanding its switching mechanism are critical to realize the optimal…
Ferroelectricity observed in thin film $\mathrm{HfO_2}$, either doped with Si, Al, etc. or in the $\mathrm{Hf_{0.5}Zr_{0.5}O_2}$ form, has gained great technical significance. However, the soft mode theory faces a difficulty in explaining…
Interfaces can differ from their parent compounds in terms of charge, spin, and orbital orders and are fertile ground for emergent phenomena, strongly correlated physics, and device applications. Here, we discover that ferroelectric order…
Hybrid improper ferroelectricity, where an electrical polarization can be induced via a trilinear coupling to two non-polar structural distortions of different symmetry, has recently been experimentally demonstrated for the first time in…
Interfacial ferroelectricity, prevalent in various parallel-stacked layered materials, allows switching of out-of-plane ferroelectric order by in-plane sliding of adjacent layers. Its resilience against doping potentially enables…
The question of whether one can systematically identify (previously unknown) ferroelectric phases of a given material is addressed, taking hafnia (HfO$_2$) as an example. Low free energy phases at various pressures and temperatures are…
We identify a first-order, isosymmetric transition between a ferrielectric (FiE) and ferroelectric (FE) state in $A$-site ordered LaScO$_{3}$/BiScO$_{3}$ and LaInO$_{3}$/BiInO$_{3}$ superlattices. Such a previously unreported ferroic…
The metastable nature of the ferroelectric phase of HfO$_2$ is a significant impediment to its industrial application as a functional ferroelectric material. In fact, no polar phases exist in the bulk phase diagram of HfO$_2$, which shows a…
A ferroelectric is a material with a polar structure whose polarity can be reversed by applying an electric field. In metals, the itinerant electrons tend to screen electrostatic forces between ions, helping to explain why polar metals are…
Combining ferroelectricity with other properties such as visible light absorption or long-range magnetic order requires the discovery of new families of ferroelectric materials. Here, through the analysis of a high-throughput database of…
Charge-order-driven ferroelectrics are an emerging class of functional materials, distinct from conventional ferroelectrics, where electron-dominated switching can occur at high frequency. Despite their promise, only a few systems…
Recent observations of unusual ferroelectricity in thin films of HfO_2 and related materials have attracted broad interest to the materials and led to the emergence of a number of competing models for observed behaviors. Here we develop the…
When the atomic layers in a non-centrosymmetric van der Waals structure slide against each other, the interfacial charge transfer results in a reversal of the structures spontaneous polarization. This phenomenon is known as sliding…
Because of its compatibility with semiconductor-based technologies, hafnia (HfO$_{2}$) is today's most promising ferroelectric material for applications in electronics. Yet, knowledge on the ferroic and electromechanical response properties…
We report the emergence of a transverse dielectric response in PbTiO$_{3}$/SrTiO$_{3}$ superlattices hosting polar vortex structures. Using second-principles simulations, we find that an electric field applied along one direction induces…
Sliding ferroelectrics, which exhibit out-of-plane polarization arising from specific stacking rather than conventional ionic displacements, are new types of ferroelectrics whose underdeveloped physics needs to be explored. Here, we…
Nanoscale ferroelectrics that can be integrated into microelectronic fabrication processes are highly desirable for low-power computing and non-volatile memory devices. However, scalable novel ferroelectric materials, such as hafnium oxide…