Light-Induced Reversible Control of Ferroelectric Polarization in BiFeO3

Abstract

Manipulation of ferroic order parameters, namely (anti-)ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and ferroelastic, by light at room temperature is a fascinating topic in modern solid-state physics due to potential cross-fertilization in research fields that are largely decoupled. Here, full optical control, that is, reversible switching, of the ferroelectric/ferroelastic domains in BiFeO₃ thin films at room temperature by the mediation of the tip-enhanced photovoltaic effect is demonstrated. The enhanced short-circuit photocurrent density at the tip contact area generates a local electric field well exceeding the coercive field, enabling ferroelectric polarization switching. Interestingly, by tailoring the photocurrent direction, via either tuning the illumination geometry or simply rotating the light polarization, full control of the ferroelectric polarization is achieved. The finding offers a new insight into the interactions between light and ferroic orders, enabling fully optical control of all the ferroic orders at room temperature and providing guidance to design novel optoferroic devices for data storage and sensing.

Full optical control of ferroelectric order parameters at room temperature is demonstrated by a combination of the bulk photovoltaic effect and the tip of an atomic force microscope. The ferroelectric polarization of a BiFeO₃ thin film can be reversibly switched solely by light via changing illumination areas or simply rotating the light polarization angles.

http://ift.tt/2Cv89na