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Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
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Real-Space Infrared Spectroscopy of Ferroelectric Domain Walls in Multiferroic h-(Lu,Sc)FeO3
Kevin A Smith1, Sriram P Ramkumar2, Kai Du3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 30, 2023
Summary
Ferroelectric domain walls in hexagonal LuScFeO3 are broad and semiconducting, unlike metallic walls in other materials. This difference arises from an intermediate phase, enabling new imaging of ferroic material properties.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Ferroelectric domain walls are critical interfaces in functional materials.
- Previous studies on rare-earth manganites reported metallic and atomically thin domain walls.
- Understanding domain wall properties is key to tailoring ferroic device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phononic properties of ferroelectric domain walls in hexagonal Lu0.6Sc0.4FeO3.
- To compare experimental findings with symmetry analysis, lattice dynamics calculations, and existing models.
- To explore the impact of A-site substitution on domain wall characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Synchrotron-based near-field infrared spectroscopy for phononic imaging.
- Detailed symmetry analysis.
- Lattice dynamics calculations.
Main Results:
- Ferroelectric domain walls in hexagonal Lu0.6Sc0.4FeO3 are broad and semiconducting, not metallic.
- An A-site substitution-induced intermediate phase leads to a nonpolar domain wall interior.
- Compositional heterogeneity due to Lu/Sc clustering does not affect the robustness of spectral characteristics at the domain wall.
Conclusions:
- The semiconducting nature of domain walls in hexagonal Lu0.6Sc0.4FeO3 is attributed to an intermediate phase.
- This study reveals the potential for broadband imaging of physical and chemical heterogeneity in ferroic materials.
- The findings advance the understanding of defect states in ferroics.
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