Kondovych Svitlana, Boron Léo, Di Rino Franco N, Sepliarsky Marcelo, Razumnaya Anna G, Sené Anaïs, Lukyanchuk Igor A
Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Helmholzstr. 20, Dresden D-01069, Germany.
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 33 rue Saint Leu, Amiens 80039, France.
Nano Lett. 2025 Aug 27;25(34):12987-12994. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c03216. Epub 2025 Aug 13.
The control of ferroelectric topological phases in ultrathin films is central to the development of next-generation nanoelectronic devices. While epitaxial strain is widely used to tune polarization states, its applicability is inherently limited to substrate-bound systems. Here, we show that surface tension becomes a key mechanical factor in freestanding ferroelectric films, governing phase stability and the emergence of topological polarization textures. Using a thermodynamic free energy framework, we show that surface tension induces effective compressive stress in freestanding films, strongly influencing both uniform and topological polarization states. Surface tension also drives large-scale morphological instabilities, reshaping phase behavior in the ferroelectric regime. Our results reveal surface tension as a robust, substrate-independent mechanism for engineering polarization states in freestanding films, creating new opportunities for flexible, strain-free ferroelectric devices.
超薄薄膜中铁电拓扑相的控制是下一代纳米电子器件发展的核心。虽然外延应变被广泛用于调节极化状态，但其适用性本质上仅限于与衬底结合的系统。在此，我们表明表面张力成为独立铁电薄膜中的关键力学因素，决定相稳定性和拓扑极化纹理的出现。使用热力学自由能框架，我们表明表面张力在独立薄膜中诱导有效压应力，强烈影响均匀极化状态和拓扑极化状态。表面张力还驱动大规模形态不稳定性，重塑铁电区域的相行为。我们的结果揭示表面张力是一种用于独立薄膜中极化状态工程的强大的、与衬底无关的机制，为柔性、无应变铁电器件创造了新机会。
