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Polarization-Controlled Structural Modulation in the Single Atomic Layer at the PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/LaNiO3 Interface
Soo-Yoon Hwang1,2, Sangjae Lee3, Ankit S Disa3
1Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
Nano Letters
|October 6, 2025
Summary
Ferroelectric polarization in PZT modulates conductivity in LaNiO3 (LNO) at the interface. This atomic-level structural change, driven by strain, offers new avenues for electronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- Ferroelectric materials exhibit spontaneous electric polarization.
- Oxide heterostructures offer tunable electronic properties.
- Controlling interfacial conductivity is crucial for advanced electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate conductivity modulation via ferroelectric polarization coupling.
- To investigate the atomic-level mechanisms of this coupling.
- To explore potential applications in electronic devices.
Main Methods:
- Epitaxial thin film growth of ferroelectric-LNO heterostructures.
- Conductivity measurements with varying channel thickness.
- In situ biasing and off-axis electron holography.
- Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).
Main Results:
- Conductivity modulation confined to a few atomic layers at the ferroelectric-LNO interface.
- Polarization switching in PZT induces significant changes in interfacial electrostatic potentials.
- Atomic structure analysis reveals a 37° modulation in O-Ni-O bond angles in LNO.
- Strain responses exceeding 10% observed in oxygen and cation sublattices.
Conclusions:
- Ferroelectric polarization coupling provides a mechanism for interfacial conductivity control.
- Atomic-scale structural modulation is key to this phenomenon.
- This work paves the way for novel nonvolatile memory, sensors, and transistors.
