51 research outputs found
Optimizing compositional and atomic-level information of oxides in atom probe tomography
Atom probe tomography (APT) is a 3D analysis technique that offers unique
chemical accuracy and sensitivity with sub-nanometer spatial resolution.
Recently, there is an increasing interest in the application of APT to complex
oxides materials, giving new insight into the relation between local variations
in chemical composition and emergent physical properties. However, in contrast
to the field of metallurgy, where APT is routinely applied to study materials
at the atomic level, complex oxides and their specific field evaporation
mechanisms are much less explored. Here, we perform APT measurements on the
hexagonal manganite ErMnO3 and systematically study the effect of different
experimental parameters on the measured composition and atomic structure. We
demonstrate that both the mass resolving power (MRP) and compositional accuracy
can be improved by increasing the charge-state ratio (CSR) working at low laser
energy (< 5 pJ). Furthermore, we observe a substantial preferential retention
of Er atoms, which is suppressed at higher CSRs. We explain our findings based
on fundamental field evaporation concepts, expanding the knowledge about the
impact of key experimental parameters and the field evaporation process in
complex oxides in general
Insulating improper ferroelectric domain walls as robust barrier layer capacitors
We report the dielectric properties of improper ferroelectric h-ErMnO.
From the bulk characterisation we observe a temperature and frequency range
with two distinct relaxation-like features, leading to high and even 'colossal'
values for the dielectric permittivity. One feature trivially originates from
the formation of a Schottky barrier at the electrode-sample interface, whereas
the second one relates to an internal barrier layer capacitance (BLC). The
calculated volume fraction of the internal BLC (of 8 %) is in good agreement
with the observed volume fraction of insulating domain walls (DWs). While it is
established that insulating DWs can give rise to high dielectric constants,
studies typically focused on proper ferroelectrics where electric fields can
remove the DWs. In h-ErMnO, by contrast, the insulating DWs are
topologically protected, facilitating operation under substantially higher
electric fields. Our findings provide the basis for a conceptually new approach
to engineer materials exhibiting colossal dielectric permittivities using
domain walls in improper ferroelecctrics with potential applications in
electroceramic capacitors.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Observation of Electric-Field-Induced Structural Dislocations in a Ferroelectric Oxide
Dislocations are 1D topological defects with emergent electronic properties. Their low dimensionality and unique properties make them excellent candidates for innovative device concepts, ranging from dislocation-based neuromorphic memory to light emission from diodes. To date, dislocations are created in materials during synthesis via strain fields or flash sintering or retrospectively via deformation, for example, (nano)-indentation, limiting the technological possibilities. In this work, we demonstrate the creation of dislocations in the ferroelectric semiconductor Er(Mn,Ti)O3 with nanoscale spatial precision using electric fields. By combining high-resolution imaging techniques and density functional theory calculations, direct images of the dislocations are collected, and their impact on the local electric transport behavior is studied. Our approach enables local property control via dislocations without the need for external macroscopic strain fields, expanding the application opportunities into the realm of electric-field-driven phenomena.publishedVersio
Frequency dependent polarisation switching in h-ErMnO
We report an electric-field poling study of the geometric-driven improper
ferroelectric h-ErMnO. From a detailed dielectric analysis we deduce the
temperature and frequency dependent range for which single-crystalline
h-ErMnO exhibits purely intrinsic dielectric behaviour, i.e., free from
extrinsic so-called Maxwell-Wagner polarisations that arise, for example, from
surface barrier layers. In this regime ferroelectric hysteresis loops as
function of frequency, temperature and applied electric fields are measured
revealing the theoretically predicted saturation polarisation in the order of 5
- 6 C/cm. Special emphasis is put on frequency-dependent polarisation
switching, which is explained in terms of domain-wall movement similar to
proper ferroelectrics. Controlling the domain walls via electric fields brings
us an important step closer to their utilization in domain-wall-based
electronics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Electrical half-wave rectification at ferroelectric domain walls
Ferroelectric domain walls represent multifunctional 2D-elements with great
potential for novel device paradigms at the nanoscale. Improper ferroelectrics
display particularly promising types of domain walls, which, due to their
unique robustness, are the ideal template for imposing specific electronic
behavior. Chemical doping, for instance, induces p- or n-type characteristics
and electric fields reversibly switch between resistive and conductive
domain-wall states. Here, we demonstrate diode-like conversion of
alternating-current (AC) into direct-current (DC) output based on neutral
180 domain walls in improper ferroelectric ErMnO. By combining
scanning probe and dielectric spectroscopy, we show that the rectification
occurs for frequencies at which the domain walls are fixed to their equilibrium
position. The practical frequency regime and magnitude of the output is
controlled by the bulk conductivity. Using density functional theory we
attribute the transport behavior at the neutral walls to an accumulation of
oxygen defects. Our study reveals domain walls acting as 2D half-wave
rectifiers, extending domain-wall-based nanoelectronic applications into the
realm of AC technology
Sign switching of dimer correlations in SrCu2(BO3)2 under hydrostatic pressure
Magnetic and vibrational excitations in SrCu2(BO3)2 are studied using Raman spectroscopy at hydrostatic pressures up to 34 kbar and temperatures down to 2.6 K. The frequency of a particular optical phonon, the so-called pantograph mode, shows a very strong anomalous temperature dependence below about 40 K. We link the magnitude of the effect to the magnetic exchange energy on the dimer bonds in the Sutherland-Shastry spin lattice in this material. The corresponding dimer spin correlations are quantitatively estimated and found to be strongly pressure dependent. At around P2∼22 kbar they switch from antiferromagnetic to being predominantly ferromagnetic.ISSN:2643-156
Charged ferroelectric domain walls for deterministic ac signal control at the nanoscale
[Image: see text] The direct current (dc) conductivity and emergent functionalities at ferroelectric domain walls are closely linked to the local polarization charges. Depending on the charge state, the walls can exhibit unusual dc conduction ranging from insulating to metallic-like, which is leveraged in domain-wall-based memory, multilevel data storage, and synaptic devices. In contrast to the functional dc behaviors at charged walls, their response to alternating currents (ac) remains to be resolved. Here, we reveal ac characteristics at positively and negatively charged walls in ErMnO(3), distinctly different from the response of the surrounding domains. By combining voltage-dependent spectroscopic measurements on macroscopic and local scales, we demonstrate a pronounced nonlinear response at the electrode-wall junction, which correlates with the domain-wall charge state. The dependence on the ac drive voltage enables reversible switching between uni- and bipolar output signals, providing conceptually new opportunities for the application of charged walls as functional nanoelements in ac circuitry
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