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The emergence of three-dimensional chiral domain walls in polar vortices

Abstract: Chirality or handedness of a material can be used as an order parameter to uncover the emergent electronic properties for quantum information science. Conventionally, chirality is found in naturally occurring biomolecules and magnetic materials. Chirality can be engineered in a topological polar vortex ferroelectric/dielectric system via atomic-scale symmetry-breaking operations. We use four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) to map out the topology-driven three-dimensional domain walls, where the handedness of two neighbor topological domains change or remain the same. The nature of the domain walls is governed by the interplay of the local perpendicular (lateral) and parallel (axial) polarization with respect to the tubular vortex structures. Unique symmetry-breaking operations and the finite nature of domain walls result in a triple point formation at the junction of chiral and achiral domain walls. The unconventional nature of the domain walls with triple point pairs may result in unique electrostatic and magnetic properties potentially useful for quantum sensing applications.

 Authorship: Susarla S., Hsu S., Gómez-Ortiz F., García-Fernández P., Savitzky B.H., Das S., Behera P., Junquera J., Ercius P., Ramesh R., Ophus C.,

 Fuente: Nature Communications, 2023, 14(1), 4465

 Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

 Publication date: 01/12/2023

 No. of pages: 7

 Publication type: Article

 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40009-2

 ISSN: 2041-1723

 Spanish project: PGC2018-096955-B-C41

 Publication Url: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40009-2

Authorship

SUSARLA, SANDHYA

HSU, SHANGLIN

FERNANDO GOMEZ ORTIZ

SAVITZKY, BENJAMIN H.

DAS, SUJIT

ERCIUS, PETER

RAMESH, RAMAMOORTHY

OPHUS, COLIN