Ferroelectricity in chemical nanostructures: proximal probe characterization and the surface chemical environment

Abstract

Renewed interest in the evolution of the ferroelectric phase transition temperature TC and the character of ordering of ferroelectric polarizations with finite size and shape is driven in part by several recent developments. An expanding array of pathways for producing nano-structured ferroelectric oxides with control of size, shape, and composition has emerged. Experimental characterization methods originally developed for thin films have been extended to ensemble-free investigations of functional properties of individual nanostructures. Progress in understanding the origin and nature of ferroelectric stability in ultra-thin films and nanostructures is reviewed. Specifically, we discuss evidence for a new surface adsorbate-driven mechanism for stabilizing ferroelectricity in nanostructures owing to a combination of recent proximal probe analysis and model calculation results, along with a new experimental paradigm for investigating and exploiting these effects and effects of finite curvature.