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Updated: May 22, 2026

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Electrostatic coupling and local structural distortions at interfaces in ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices
P Zubko1, N Jecklin, A Torres-Pardo
1DPMC, University of Geneva, 24 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva-4, Switzerland. pavlo.zubko@unige.ch
Abstract:
The performance of ferroelectric devices is intimately entwined with the structure and dynamics of ferroelectric domains. In ultrathin ferroelectrics, ordered nanodomains arise naturally in response to the presence of a depolarizing field and give rise to highly inhomogeneous polarization and structural profiles. Ferroelectric superlattices offer a unique way of engineering the desired nanodomain structure by modifying the strength of the electrostatic interactions between different ferroelectric layers. Through a combination of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and first-principles calculations, the electrostatic coupling between ferroelectric layers is studied, revealing the existence of interfacial layers of reduced tetragonality attributed to inhomogeneous strain and polarization profiles associated with the domain structure.
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