Atomically Resolved Edge States on a Layered Ferroelectric Oxide

The emerging surface/edge electronic phases driven by broken symmetry effects have attracted great attention in low-dimensional electronic systems. However, experimental proof on their existence in ferroelectric oxides at the atomic scale is still missing. In this work, metallic surface states are observed on layered Bi₂WO₆ by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. Differential conductance is remarkably enhanced near the step edge compared with that on the terrace, forming a one-dimensional edge state. Density functional theory calculations verify that symmetry breaking at the surface determines the electronic structures and O 2p orbitals contribute the most to the density of states around the Fermi level. Our discovery provides a new strategy toward the hidden phases on other correlated oxide surfaces.