Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains
Abstract Ferroelectric materials exhibit a wealth of topological polar structures that hold promise for high-density, energy-efficient information technologies. Ferroelectric polarization configurations can be flipped by non-uniform mechanical stresses and associated lattice deformations and can be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | npj Quantum Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-025-00781-4 |
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| author | Jaegyu Kim Youngki Yeo Yong-Jun Kwon Juhyun Lee Jeongdae Seo Seungbum Hong Chan-Ho Yang |
| author_facet | Jaegyu Kim Youngki Yeo Yong-Jun Kwon Juhyun Lee Jeongdae Seo Seungbum Hong Chan-Ho Yang |
| author_sort | Jaegyu Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ferroelectric materials exhibit a wealth of topological polar structures that hold promise for high-density, energy-efficient information technologies. Ferroelectric polarization configurations can be flipped by non-uniform mechanical stresses and associated lattice deformations and can be understood in the quasi-static regime based on flexoelectricity, but little is known about the dynamic mechanical excitations that generate topological ferroelectric structures. Here, we discover stable centre-type skyrmion-like polar nanodomains in super-tetragonal BiFeO3 thin films generated by vibrational tapping using scanning probe microscope tips. Vibrational tapping can bidirectionally switch out-of-plane polarization by exerting strong dynamic force onto the elastically soft state emerging from strain-driven morphotropic phase transitions, which may be attributed to unconventional non-linear flexoelectric effects in the large strain-gradient regime. Our study provides a novel pathway into not only dynamic mechanoelectric coupling and topological polar structures, but also dynamic mechanical excitation technologies applicable to various fields. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a9e910a7e2034fe9908050f6413325ed |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2397-4648 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Quantum Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-a9e910a7e2034fe9908050f6413325ed2025-08-20T03:03:20ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Materials2397-46482025-07-0110111010.1038/s41535-025-00781-4Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomainsJaegyu Kim0Youngki Yeo1Yong-Jun Kwon2Juhyun Lee3Jeongdae Seo4Seungbum Hong5Chan-Ho Yang6Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyAbstract Ferroelectric materials exhibit a wealth of topological polar structures that hold promise for high-density, energy-efficient information technologies. Ferroelectric polarization configurations can be flipped by non-uniform mechanical stresses and associated lattice deformations and can be understood in the quasi-static regime based on flexoelectricity, but little is known about the dynamic mechanical excitations that generate topological ferroelectric structures. Here, we discover stable centre-type skyrmion-like polar nanodomains in super-tetragonal BiFeO3 thin films generated by vibrational tapping using scanning probe microscope tips. Vibrational tapping can bidirectionally switch out-of-plane polarization by exerting strong dynamic force onto the elastically soft state emerging from strain-driven morphotropic phase transitions, which may be attributed to unconventional non-linear flexoelectric effects in the large strain-gradient regime. Our study provides a novel pathway into not only dynamic mechanoelectric coupling and topological polar structures, but also dynamic mechanical excitation technologies applicable to various fields.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-025-00781-4 |
| spellingShingle | Jaegyu Kim Youngki Yeo Yong-Jun Kwon Juhyun Lee Jeongdae Seo Seungbum Hong Chan-Ho Yang Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains npj Quantum Materials |
| title | Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains |
| title_full | Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains |
| title_short | Dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion-like polar nanodomains |
| title_sort | dynamic mechanical writing of skyrmion like polar nanodomains |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-025-00781-4 |
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