Laser-driven ferroelectricity in SrTiO₃ via quantum fluctuation quenching

Similar to other perovskites in its family, SrTiO₃ exhibits a significant softening of the ferroelectric mode with decreasing temperature, a behavior that typically heralds the onset of a ferroelectric transition. However, this material remains paraelectric down to 0 K due to quantum fluctuations that prevent stabilization of the ferroelectric minimum. This work shows that in the strong out-of-equilibrium regime induced by resonant mid-IR pulses, quantum fluctuations can be suppressed, inducing a ferroelectric transition in SrTiO₃ that is otherwise impossible at equilibrium. The appearance of a metastable state, that is distinct from the conventional ground state, is a demonstration of how it is possible to leverage and control quantum fluctuations with pulsed light to qualitatively alter the free energy landscape of a quantum system. We predict the conditions and system parameters under which the induced non-equilibrium state can be long-lived and metastable. In providing a quantitative description, based on first principles machine learned potential energy surface, we explain recent experimental observations of light-induced ferroelectric transition in this material. Our results indicate a general nonequilibrium route to light-induced ferroelectric order in oxide perovskites near a ferroelectric instability.