Atomic-Scale Characterization of 180° Conductive Domain Walls in PbZrTiO.

Conductive domain walls (DWs) in ferroic materials have emerged as promising candidates for applications in nanoelectronics due to their unique properties such as high conductivity and nonvolatility. In this study, we investigate the atomic structure and conductivity of nominally neutral 180° DWs artificially created in an epitaxial thin film of tetragonal PbZrTiO. Using piezoresponse force microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we elucidate the complex structure of these 180° DWs and their coupling with ferroelastic domains, revealing that they exhibit a complex structure due to the strain-mediated interplay with the ferroelastic domains.

Giant switchable non thermally-activated conduction in 180° domain walls in tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O.

Conductive domain walls in ferroelectrics offer a promising concept of nanoelectronic circuits with 2D domain-wall channels playing roles of memristors or synoptic interconnections. However, domain wall conduction remains challenging to control and pA-range currents typically measured on individual walls are too low for single-channel devices. Charged domain walls show higher conductivity, but are generally unstable and difficult to create.