Domain walls (DWs) in ferroelectric materials are interfaces
that
separate domains with different polarizations. Charged domain walls
(CDWs) and neutral domain walls are commonly classified depending
on the charge state at the DWs. CDWs are particularly attractive as
they are configurable elements, which can enhance field susceptibility
and enable functionalities such as conductance control. However, it
is difficult to achieve CDWs in practice. Here, we demonstrate that
applying mechanical stress is a robust and reproducible approach to
generate CDWs. By mechanical compression, CDWs with a head/tail-to-body
configuration were introduced in ultrathin BaTiO3, which
was revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy. Finite element
analysis shows strong strain fluctuation in ultrathin BaTiO3 under compressive mechanical stress. Molecular dynamics simulations
suggest that the strain fluctuation is a critical factor in forming
CDWs. This study provides insight into ferroelectric DWs and opens
a pathway to creating CDWs in ferroelectric materials.
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