Abstract
A prominent challenge towards novel nanoelectronic technologies is to understand and control materials functionalities down to the smallest scale. Topological defects in ordered solid-state (multi-)ferroic materials, e.g., domain walls, are a promising gateway towards alternative sustainable technologies. In this article, we review advances in the field of domain walls in ferroic materials with a focus on ferroelectric and multiferroic systems and recent developments in prototype nanoelectronic devices.
Highlights
Materials research involving nanoscale properties of functional materials, especially in correlated electron systems, is faced with rich fundamental physics and a wide variety of phenomena that can potentially be exploited for new technology and applications
Since initial reports of domain wall conduction in WO3 [29] and BiFeO3 (BFO) [30,31], the phenomenon has been observed in a range of materials systems such as uniaxial ferroelectrics [28,32,33,34,35] (LiNbO3 ; Pb(Zr/Ti)O3 ; LiTaO3 ; BaTiO3, KTiOPO4 ), multiferroics and improper ferroelectrics [36,37,38,39] (RMnO3, R: Er, Y, Dy, Lu; (Ca,Sr)3 Ti2 O7 ; Cu3 B7 O13 Cl), and magnetic systems [40,41]
Ferroelectric domain wall device research is still in its initial stages, it can be based on analogous research in the more mature field of ferromagnetism, which has already delivered demonstrator devices
Summary
Materials research involving nanoscale properties of functional materials, especially in correlated electron systems, is faced with rich fundamental physics and a wide variety of phenomena that can potentially be exploited for new technology and applications These systems present a great range of interesting aspects, such as superconductivity, magnetism, topological insulators, and ferroelectricity, to name just a few. The concept of using such topological defects as functional nanoscale elements [1] has given rise to recent developments of prototype domain wall nanoelectronics elements These include diodes [2], nonvolatile memory [3], and tunnel junctions [4], among others. Domain walls take the role of the active device part (e.g., for storing information in memory), and their absence or presence defines the resistance state (high or low) of the element These element’s functions are driven by external stimuli, such as electric or magnetic fields, stress, or currents. We start from a discussion of the basic properties of domain walls and later look into recent developments in prototype nanoelectronic devices
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