Ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrRuO3 Superlattices with Broken Inversion Symmetry

S. J. Callori, J. Gabel, D. Su, J. Sinsheimer, M. V. Fernandez-Serra, and M. Dawber
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 067601 – Published 9 August 2012
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Abstract

We have fabricated PbTiO3/SrRuO3 superlattices with ultrathin SrRuO3 layers. Because of the superlattice geometry, the samples show a large anisotropy in their electrical resistivity, which can be controlled by changing the thickness of the PbTiO3 layers. Therefore, along the ferroelectric direction, SrRuO3 layers can act as dielectric, rather than metallic, elements. We show that, by reducing the concentration of PbTiO3, an increasingly important effect of polarization asymmetry due to compositional inversion symmetry breaking occurs. The results are significant as they represent a new class of ferroelectric superlattices, with a rich and complex phase diagram. By expanding our set of materials we are able to introduce new behaviors that can only occur when one of the materials is not a perovskite titanate. Here, compositional inversion symmetry breaking in bicolor superlattices, due to the combined variation of A and B site ions within the superlattice, is demonstrated using a combination of experimental measurements and first principles density functional theory.

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  • Received 13 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.067601

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. J. Callori1, J. Gabel1, D. Su2, J. Sinsheimer1, M. V. Fernandez-Serra1, and M. Dawber1,*

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800, USA
  • 2Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973-5000, USA

  • *matthew.dawber@stonybrook.edu

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 6 — 10 August 2012

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