Fluctuating orders in solids are generally considered high-temperature precursors of broken symmetry phases. However, in some cases these fluctuations persist to zero temperature and prevent the emergence of long-range order, as for example observed in quantum spin and dipolar liquids. SrTiO3 is a quantum paraelectric in which dipolar fluctuations grow when the material is cooled, although a long-range ferroelectric order never sets in. We show that the nonlinear excitation of lattice vibrations with mid-infrared optical pulses can induce polar order in SrTiO3 up to temperatures in excess of 290 K. This metastable phase, which persists for hours after the optical pump is interrupted, is evidenced by the appearance of a large second-order optical nonlinearity that is absent in equilibrium. Hardening of a low-frequency mode indicates that the polar order may be associated with a photo-induced ferroelectric phase transition. The spatial distribution of the optically induced polar domains suggests that a new type of photo-flexoelectric coupling triggers this effect.

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Metallic electronic transport in nickelate heterostructures can be induced and confined to two dimensions (2D) by controlling the structural parameters of the nickel-oxygen planes.

SnTe is a topological crystalline insulator that possesses spin-polarized, Dirac-dispersive surface states protected by crystal symmetry. Multiple surface states exist on the {100}, {110}, and {111} surfaces of SnTe, with the band structure of surface states depending on the mirror symmetry of a particular surface. Thus, to access surface states selectively, it is critical to control the morphology of SnTe such that only desired crystallographic surfaces are present. Here, we grow SnTe nanostructures using vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid growth mechanisms. Previously, SnTe nanowires and nanocrystals have been grown [Saghir et al. Cryst. Growth Des. 2014, 14, 2009-2013; Safdar et al. Cryst. Growth Des. 2014, 14, 2502-2509; Safdar et al. Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 5344-5349; Li et al. Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 5443-5448]. In this report, we demonstrate the synthesis of SnTe nanoplates with lateral dimensions spanning tens of micrometers and thicknesses of a few hundred nanometers. The top and bottom surfaces are either (100) or (111), maximizing topological surface states on these surfaces. Magnetotransport on these SnTe nanoplates shows a high bulk carrier density, consistent with bulk SnTe crystals arising due to defects such as Sn vacancies. In addition, we observe a structural phase transition in these nanoplates from the high-temperature rock salt to a low-temperature rhombohedral structure. For nanoplates with a very high carrier density, we observe a slight upturn in resistance at low temperatures, indicating electron-electron interactions.

We describe a general materials design approach that produces large orbital energy splittings (orbital polarization) in nickelate heterostructures, creating a two-dimensional single-band electronic surface at the Fermi energy. The resulting electronic structure mimics that of the high temperature cuprate superconductors. The two key ingredients are: (i) the construction of atomicscale distortions about the Ni site via charge transfer and internal electric fields, and (ii) the use of three component (tri-component) superlattices to break inversion symmetry. We use ab initio calculations to implement the approach, with experimental verification of the critical structural motif that enables the design to succeed.

Strain engineering is widely used to manipulate the electronic and magnetic properties of complex materials 1, 2 . An attractive route to control magnetism with strain is provided by the piezomagnetic effect, whereby the staggered spin structure of an antiferromagnet is decompensated by breaking the crystal field symmetry, which induces a ferrimagnetic polarization. Piezomagnetism is especially attractive because unlike magnetostriction it couples strain and magnetization at linear order 3 , and allows for bi-directional control suitable for memory and spintronics applications 4, 5 . However, its use in functional devices has so far been hindered by the slow speed and large uniaxial strains required. Here, we show that the essential features of piezomagnetism can be reproduced with optical phonons alone, which can be driven by light to large amplitudes without changing the volume and hence beyond the elastic limits of the material. We exploit nonlinear, three-phonon mixing to induce the desired crystal field distortions in the antiferromagnet CoF2. Through this effect, we generate a ferrimagnetic moment of 0.2 μB per unit cell, nearly three orders of magnitude larger than achieved with mechanical strain 6 .

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The electronic and structural properties of thin LaNiO 3 films grown using molecular beam epitaxy are studied as a function of the net ionic charge of the surface terminating layer. We demonstrate that electronic transport in nickelate heterostructures can be manipulated through changes in the surface termination due a strong coupling of the surface electrostatic properties to the structural properties of the Ni-O bonds that govern electronic conduction. We observe experimentally and from first principles theory an asymmetric response of the structural properties of the films to the sign of the surface charge, which results from a strong interplay between electrostatic and mechanical boundary conditions governing the system. The structural response results in ionic buckling in the near-surface NiO 2 planes for films terminated with negatively charged NiO 2 and bulk-like NiO 2 planes for films terminated with positively charged LaO planes. The ability to modify transport properties by the deposition of a single atomic layer can be used as a guiding principle for nanoscale device fabrication.