Abstract
Advances in complex oxide heteroepitaxy have highlighted the enormous potential of utilizing strain engineering via lattice mismatch to control ferroelectricity in thin-film heterostructures. This approach, however, lacks the ability to produce large and continuously variable strain states, thus limiting the potential for designing and tuning the desired properties of ferroelectric films. Here, we observe and explore dynamic strain-induced ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 by laminating freestanding oxide films onto a stretchable polymer substrate. Using a combination of scanning probe microscopy, optical second harmonic generation measurements, and atomistic modeling, we demonstrate robust room-temperature ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 with 2.0% uniaxial tensile strain, corroborated by the notable features of 180° ferroelectric domains and an extrapolated transition temperature of 400 K. Our work reveals the enormous potential of employing oxide membranes to create and enhance ferroelectricity in environmentally benign lead-free oxides, which hold great promise for applications ranging from non-volatile memories and microwave electronics.
Highlights
Advances in complex oxide heteroepitaxy have highlighted the enormous potential of utilizing strain engineering via lattice mismatch to control ferroelectricity in thin-film heterostructures
After fully dissolving Sr2CaAl2O6 in deionized water, the SrTiO3 film is released from the substrate and transferred onto a flexible polyimide sheet that can be stretched into various strain states
Using SrTiO3 membranes as a promising example, our work demonstrates the significant potential of employing oxide membranes for enhanced ferroelectric properties in diverse oxide materials
Summary
Advances in complex oxide heteroepitaxy have highlighted the enormous potential of utilizing strain engineering via lattice mismatch to control ferroelectricity in thin-film heterostructures This approach, lacks the ability to produce large and continuously variable strain states, limiting the potential for designing and tuning the desired properties of ferroelectric films. Advances in thin-film epitaxy have highlighted the role of substrate-induced strain in stabilizing ferroelectricity and enhancing the ferroelectric transition temperature Tc in SrTiO3 thin-film heterostructures This strategy of strain engineering relies on the lattice mismatch between the film and the underlying substrate, and has been widely used in tuning the structure and properties of many oxide materials. In this work, using a variety of characterization techniques we demonstrate robust room-temperature ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 with 2.0% uniaxial tensile strain, which is corroborated by the notable features of 180° ferroelectric domains and an extrapolated transition temperature of 400 K
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