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Abstract
Polydomain superlattices composed of ferroelectric PbTiO3 and paraelectric SrTiO3 were investigated by means of temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and electrical measurements. The ferroelectric nanodomains were found to have an almost isotropic distribution of domain wall alignments and to be highly responsive to applied electric fields, giving rise to large enhancements in the overall dielectric response of the structure. Electrical measurements revealed a dramatic dependence of the dielectric permittivity, tunability, and polarization-voltage characteristics on the superlattice period. For short-period superlattices, double hysteresis loops were observed.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Prof. Jim Scott for many fascinating and inspiring discussions. P.Z. is also grateful to Prof. Igor Luk’yanchuk for illuminating discussions during a visit to Amiens. Marco Lopes is gratefully acknowledged for technical support. This work was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the National Center of Competence in Research, Materials with Novel Electronic Properties (MaNEP) and Division II; the EU project OxIDes; and the Leverhulme Trust.