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Optical creation of a supercrystal with nanoscale periodicity

Invited

Abstract


Stimulation with ultrafast light pulses can realize and manipulate states of matter with emergent structural, electronic and magnetic phenomena. However, these non-equilibrium phases are often transient and the challenge is to stabilize them as persistent states. Here, we show that atomic-scale PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices, counterpoising strain and polarization states in alternate layers, are converted by sub-picosecond optical pulses to a supercrystal phase. This phase persists indefinitely under ambient conditions, has not been created via equilibrium routes, and can be erased by heating. X-ray scattering and microscopy show this unusual phase consists of a coherent three-dimensional structure with polar, strain and charge-ordering periodicities of up to 30 nm. By adjusting only dielectric properties, the phase-field model describes this emergent phase as a photo-induced charge-stabilized supercrystal formed from a two-phase equilibrium state. Progress on understanding the formation mechanism for creation of the supercrystal will be presented. Our results demonstrate opportunities for light- activated pathways to thermally inaccessible and emergent metastable states.

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Presenters

  • Venkatraman Gopalan

    Pennsylvania State University, Material Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Penn State University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

Authors

  • Venkatraman Gopalan

    Pennsylvania State University, Material Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Penn State University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

  • Vladimir A Stoica

    Pennsylvania State University, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Michigan

  • Nouamane Laanait

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • cheng dai

    Pennsylvania State University

  • zijian hong

    Pennsylvania State University, The Pennsylvania State University

  • yakun yuan

    University of California Los Angeles

  • Lane Wyatt Martin

    materials science and engineering, university of california berkeley, University of California, Berkeley

  • Ramamoorthy Ramesh

    materials science and engineering, university of california berkeley, University of California, Berkeley, University of California Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkley

  • Long-Qing Chen

    Pennsylvania State University, Pennslvania State University, Material Science and Engineering, Penn State University

  • Haidan Wen

    argonne national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory

  • John Freeland

    argonne national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Advanced Photon Source, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA