Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 Thin Films

Chao Chen; Caiwen Li; Jiangxiao Li; Han Gao; Jingtian Zhou; Zhen Wang; Xiangbin Cai; Guofeng Liang; Xiaozhe Yin; Zhibang Shen; Jinhui Yu; Zedong Xu; Minghui Qin; Xubing Lu; Lang Chen; Ning Wang; Ye Zhu; Yu Chen; Guofu Zhou; Xingsen Gao; Yibo Han; Zhenlin Luo; Jun Ming Liu; Deyang Chen

doi:10.1021/acsnano.5c03518

Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO₃ Thin Films

Chao Chen, Caiwen Li, Jiangxiao Li, Han Gao, Jingtian Zhou, Zhen Wang, Xiangbin Cai, Guofeng Liang, Xiaozhe Yin, Zhibang Shen, Jinhui Yu, Zedong Xu, Minghui Qin, Xubing Lu, Lang Chen, Ning Wang, Ye Zhu, Yu Chen, Guofu Zhou, Xingsen GaoYibo Han^*, Zhenlin Luo^*, Jun Ming Liu, Deyang Chen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Tensile biaxial strain has been demonstrated to induce in-plane ferroelectricity in SrTiO₃ thin films at room temperature. However, out-of-plane ferroelectricity is more favorable for electronic device applications. Here, we report the achievement of room-temperature out-of-plane ferroelectric SrTiO₃ thin films with giant tetragonality (c/a ∼ 1.061) and an ultrahigh ferroelectric stablity temperature (>1000 K) through epitaxial strain and defect engineering. Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) proves that the enhancement of tetragonality enables improved ferroelectricity. Moreover, a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) reveals the origin of enhanced tetragonality and strong ferroelectricity in defect- and strain-codriven supertetragonal SrTiO₃ thin films. Our findings present an approach to material design that can be extended to other material systems for the enhancement of ferroelectricity and the observation of emergent phenomena.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	13479-13488
Number of pages	10
Journal	ACS Nano
Volume	19
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c03518
Publication status	Published - 8 Apr 2025
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

defect engineering
epitaxial strain
ferroelectrics
secondary harmonic generation (SHG)
SrTiO

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10.1021/acsnano.5c03518

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@article{669e37fc3968426685555f56eb2a2285,

title = "Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 Thin Films",

abstract = "Tensile biaxial strain has been demonstrated to induce in-plane ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 thin films at room temperature. However, out-of-plane ferroelectricity is more favorable for electronic device applications. Here, we report the achievement of room-temperature out-of-plane ferroelectric SrTiO3 thin films with giant tetragonality (c/a ∼ 1.061) and an ultrahigh ferroelectric stablity temperature (>1000 K) through epitaxial strain and defect engineering. Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) proves that the enhancement of tetragonality enables improved ferroelectricity. Moreover, a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) reveals the origin of enhanced tetragonality and strong ferroelectricity in defect- and strain-codriven supertetragonal SrTiO3 thin films. Our findings present an approach to material design that can be extended to other material systems for the enhancement of ferroelectricity and the observation of emergent phenomena.",

keywords = "defect engineering, epitaxial strain, ferroelectrics, secondary harmonic generation (SHG), SrTiO",

author = "Chao Chen and Caiwen Li and Jiangxiao Li and Han Gao and Jingtian Zhou and Zhen Wang and Xiangbin Cai and Guofeng Liang and Xiaozhe Yin and Zhibang Shen and Jinhui Yu and Zedong Xu and Minghui Qin and Xubing Lu and Lang Chen and Ning Wang and Ye Zhu and Yu Chen and Guofu Zhou and Xingsen Gao and Yibo Han and Zhenlin Luo and Liu, {Jun Ming} and Deyang Chen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1021/acsnano.5c03518",

language = "English",

volume = "19",

pages = "13479--13488",

journal = "ACS Nano",

issn = "1936-0851",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

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Chen, C, Li, C, Li, J, Gao, H, Zhou, J, Wang, Z, Cai, X, Liang, G, Yin, X, Shen, Z, Yu, J, Xu, Z, Qin, M, Lu, X, Chen, L, Wang, N, Zhu, Y, Chen, Y, Zhou, G, Gao, X, Han, Y, Luo, Z, Liu, JM & Chen, D 2025, 'Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO₃ Thin Films', ACS Nano, vol. 19, no. 13, pp. 13479-13488. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c03518

TY - JOUR

T1 - Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 Thin Films

AU - Chen, Chao

AU - Li, Caiwen

AU - Li, Jiangxiao

AU - Gao, Han

AU - Zhou, Jingtian

AU - Wang, Zhen

AU - Cai, Xiangbin

AU - Liang, Guofeng

AU - Yin, Xiaozhe

AU - Shen, Zhibang

AU - Yu, Jinhui

AU - Xu, Zedong

AU - Qin, Minghui

AU - Lu, Xubing

AU - Chen, Lang

AU - Wang, Ning

AU - Zhu, Ye

AU - Chen, Yu

AU - Zhou, Guofu

AU - Gao, Xingsen

AU - Han, Yibo

AU - Luo, Zhenlin

AU - Liu, Jun Ming

AU - Chen, Deyang

PY - 2025/4/8

Y1 - 2025/4/8

N2 - Tensile biaxial strain has been demonstrated to induce in-plane ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 thin films at room temperature. However, out-of-plane ferroelectricity is more favorable for electronic device applications. Here, we report the achievement of room-temperature out-of-plane ferroelectric SrTiO3 thin films with giant tetragonality (c/a ∼ 1.061) and an ultrahigh ferroelectric stablity temperature (>1000 K) through epitaxial strain and defect engineering. Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) proves that the enhancement of tetragonality enables improved ferroelectricity. Moreover, a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) reveals the origin of enhanced tetragonality and strong ferroelectricity in defect- and strain-codriven supertetragonal SrTiO3 thin films. Our findings present an approach to material design that can be extended to other material systems for the enhancement of ferroelectricity and the observation of emergent phenomena.

AB - Tensile biaxial strain has been demonstrated to induce in-plane ferroelectricity in SrTiO3 thin films at room temperature. However, out-of-plane ferroelectricity is more favorable for electronic device applications. Here, we report the achievement of room-temperature out-of-plane ferroelectric SrTiO3 thin films with giant tetragonality (c/a ∼ 1.061) and an ultrahigh ferroelectric stablity temperature (>1000 K) through epitaxial strain and defect engineering. Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) proves that the enhancement of tetragonality enables improved ferroelectricity. Moreover, a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) reveals the origin of enhanced tetragonality and strong ferroelectricity in defect- and strain-codriven supertetragonal SrTiO3 thin films. Our findings present an approach to material design that can be extended to other material systems for the enhancement of ferroelectricity and the observation of emergent phenomena.

KW - defect engineering

KW - epitaxial strain

KW - ferroelectrics

KW - secondary harmonic generation (SHG)

KW - SrTiO

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002485786&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acsnano.5c03518

DO - 10.1021/acsnano.5c03518

M3 - Article

C2 - 40139942

AN - SCOPUS:105002485786

SN - 1936-0851

VL - 19

SP - 13479

EP - 13488

JO - ACS Nano

JF - ACS Nano

IS - 13

ER -

Defect and Strain Engineering Coenhanced Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in SrTiO₃ Thin Films

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Keywords

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