Probing the Surface Polarization of Ferroelectric Thin Films by X-ray Standing Waves

ORAL

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate that the X-ray standing wave technique in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy can provide the amplitude and orientation of the local ferroelectric polarization near the surface of a ferroelectric thin film. The X-ray standing wave technique provides Ba and Ti atomic positions, and thus the local ferroelectric polarization, within the topmost 3 unit cells below the surface of three differently strained BaTiO3 thin films grown on scandate substrates, with a SrRuO3 film as bottom electrode. We interpret the measured polarization profiles based on the kind, content and spatial distribution of oxygen-containing adsorbates at the surface.

*D.P acknowledges funding from 'la Caixa' Foundation fellowship (ID 100010434). I.S. and D.P. acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (MICINN), grant No. PID2019-109931GB-I00. The ICN2 is funded by the CERCA programme / Generalitat de Catalunya and by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence Programme, funded by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI, CEX2021-001214-S).

Publication: Le Phuong Hoang, Irena Spasojevic, Tien-Lin Lee, David Pesquera, Kai Rossnagel, Jörg Zegenhagen, Gustau Catalan, Ivan A Vartanyants, Andreas Scherz, Giuseppe Mercurio. Probing the surface polarization of ferroelectric thin films by X-ray standing waves. https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.01673

Presenters

  • Le Phuong Hoang

    • European XFEL GmbH
    • European XFEL

Authors

  • Le Phuong Hoang

    • European XFEL GmbH
    • European XFEL
  • Irena Spasojevic

    • Department de Fisica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
  • Tien-Lin Lee

    • Diamond Light Source
  • David Pesquera

    • Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology ICN2
    • Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
  • Kai Rossnagel

    • Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY and Kiel University
  • Jorg Zegenhagen

    • Diamond Light Source
  • Gustau Catalan

    • Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology-ICN2
    • Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
  • Ivan Vartanyants

    • Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY
  • Andreas Scherz

    • European XFEL
    • European XFEL, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
  • Giuseppe Mercurio

    • European XFEL, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
    • European XFEL