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The motion of domain walls is crucial for ferroelectric switching. Conventionally, the switching dynamics is believed to be determined by the motion of one or a few low-energy domain wall types of dominant population. Here, we challenge…
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…
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.…
When subjected to electro-mechanical loading, ferroelectrics see their polarization evolve through the nucleation and evolution of domains. Existing mesoscale phase-field models for ferroelectrics are typically based on a gradient-descent…
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…
We present in-situ transmission electron microscopy observations of domain wall motion in thin freestanding potassium niobate single-crystals. We observe that not all domains of a given polarization orientation are equally switchable in…
Ferroelectric domain structures, separated by domain walls, often display unconventional physics and hold significant potential for applications in nano-devices. Most naturally growth domain walls are charge-neutral to avoid increased…
Sliding ferroelectrics constructed from stacked nonpolar monolayers enable out-of-plane polarization in two dimensions with exceptional properties, including ultrafast switching speeds and fatigue-free behavior. However, the widely accepted…
While scandium-doped aluminum nitride (AlScN) exhibits robust ferroelectricity and excellent thermal stability, its utility is limited by an exceptionally high coercive field ($E_c$) for polarization switching. Unraveling the atomistic…
The ability to switch between distinct states of polarization comprises the defining property of ferroelectrics. However, the microscopic mechanism responsible for switching is not well understood and theoretical estimates based on coherent…
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…
Domain walls are the topological defects that mediate polarization reversal in ferroelectrics, and they may exhibit quite different geometric and electronic structures compared to the bulk. Therefore, a detailed atomic-scale understanding…
Deterministic polarization reversal in ferroelectric and multiferroic films is critical for their exploitation in nanoelectronic devices. While ferroelectricity has been studied for nearly a century, major discrepancies in the reported…
Charged polar interfaces such as charged ferroelectric domain walls or heterostructured interfaces of ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O and LaAlO3/SrTiO3, across which the normal component of electric polarization changes suddenly, can host large…
Domain wall dynamics in ferroic materials underpins functionality of data storage and information technology devices. Using localized electric field of a scanning probe microscopy tip, we experimentally demonstrate a surprisingly rich range…
Domain-wall dynamics in ferroelectric materials are strongly position-dependent since each polar interface is locked into a unique local microstructure. This necessitates spatially resolved studies of the wall-pinning using scanning-probe…
Hafnium dioxide (HfO2) is a promising ferroelectric (FE) material for achieving high-density nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic computing, due to its compatibility with the mainstream integrated circuit technology and the surprisingly…
Switching in magnetic materials gives rise to rich physical phenomena and lies at the heart of their technological applications. Although domain wall motion in ferro- and antiferromagnets has been studied, in spiral magnets it is still…
The high coercive field ($E_c$) of hafnia-based ferroelectrics presents a major obstacle to their applications. The ferroelectric switching mechanisms in hafnia that dictate $E_c$, especially those related to domain nucleation in the…
Simultaneous imaging of the piezoresponse phase, amplitude and bare surface topography of displacive ferroelectric thin films by scanning probe microscopy directly shows the nature of domain wall pinning and its relation to morphological…