Abstract
We discovered from first principles an unusual polar state in the low n Sr n+1Ti nO 3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) layered perovskites in which ferroelectricity is nearly degenerate with antiferroelectricity, a relatively rare form of ferroic order. We show that epitaxial strain plays a key role in tuning the "perpendicular coherence length" of the ferroelectric mode, and does not induce ferroelectricity in these low-dimensional RP materials as is well known to occur in SrTiO 3. These systems present an opportunity to manipulate the coherence length of a ferroic distortion in a controlled way, without disorder or a free surface.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 257602 |
Journal | Physical review letters |
Volume | 107 |
Issue number | 25 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 13 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |