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Orthogonal electric fields turn on and turn off symmetry in BiFeO3 superlattices

When BiFeO3 layers are confined between TbScO3 layers in an epitaxial superlattice, crystallographically orthogonal voltages can induce reversible, non-volatile switching between polar and antipolar states in BiFeO3. This symmetry switch also leads to marked changes in the nonlinear optical response, piezoresponse and resistivity of the system.

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Fig. 1: Electric-field-driven phase transformation.

References

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This is a summary of: Caretta, L. et al. Non-volatile electric-field control of inversion symmetry. Nat. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-022-01412-0 (2022).

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Orthogonal electric fields turn on and turn off symmetry in BiFeO3 superlattices. Nat. Mater. 22, 159–160 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-022-01413-z

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