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Pressure-induced switching in ferroelectrics: Phase-field modeling, electrochemistry, flexoelectric effect, and bulk vacancy ...

by Ye Cao, A. Morozovska, Sergei V Kalinin
Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Physical Review B
Publication Date
Page Number
184109
Volume
96
Issue
18

Pressure-induced polarization switching in ferroelectric thin films has emerged as a powerful method for domain patterning, allowing us to create predefined domain patterns on free surfaces and under thin conductive top electrodes. However, the mechanisms for pressure-induced polarization switching in ferroelectrics remain highly controversial, with flexoelectricity, polarization rotation and suppression, and bulk and surface electrochemical processes all being potentially relevant. Here we classify possible pressure-induced switching mechanisms, perform elementary estimates, and study in depth using phase-field modeling. We show that magnitudes of these effects are remarkably close and give rise to complex switching diagrams as a function of pressure and film thickness with nontrivial topology or switchable and nonswitchable regions.