Light-Induced Photomechanical Patterning of Ferroelectric Polarization
/ Authors
Alban Degezelle, Jonas Strobelt, S. Loebner, Moussa Mebarki, S. Fusil, Vincent Garcia, B. Bérini, V. Polewczyk, Yves Dumont, S. Matzen
and 3 more authors
/ Abstract
Tailoring at will polar textures in ferroelectrics is critical for the development of nanoscale electronics and functional oxide technologies. Freestanding ferroelectric membranes have enabled studies of strain-induced polarization responses, but the control over membrane shape and local polarization typically remains limited to spontaneous buckling or uniaxial mechanical deformations. In this work, we employ a versatile photosensitive-polymer patterning approach to impose programmable bending strain profiles in ferroelectric membranes. Using BaTiO3 as a model system, we demonstrate deterministic 90° polarization rotation driven by engineered in-plane strain, and 180° polarization reversal arising from flexoelectric coupling through a controlled strain gradient. These results establish this programmable bending as a powerful approach to investigate strain-dependent domain structures, leverage flexoelectric effects, and engineer custom ferroelectric landscapes across a wide range of oxide membranes.
Journal: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces