Quantitative 3D mapping of chemical defects at charged grain boundaries in a ferroelectric oxide

TL;DR

This study combines advanced microscopy and tomography to reveal how chemical and structural changes at charged grain boundaries in ferroelectric ErMnO3 influence electronic properties, highlighting structural effects over electrostatics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the chemical and electronic nature of charged grain boundaries in polycrystalline ferroelectric oxides, emphasizing the role of structural phenomena.

Findings

Charged grain boundaries exhibit enhanced electronic conductance.

Chemical analysis shows erbium enrichment and oxygen depletion at boundaries.

Structural effects dominate over electrostatic polarization in determining boundary chemistry.

Abstract

Polar discontinuities and structural changes at oxide interfaces can give rise to a large variety of electronic and ionic phenomena. Related effects have been intensively studied in epitaxial systems, including ferroelectric domain walls and interfaces in superlattices. Here, we investigate the relation between polar discontinuities and the local chemistry at grain boundaries in polycrystalline ferroelectric ErMnO3. Using orientation mapping and different scanning probe microscopy techniques, we demonstrate that the polycrystalline material develops charged grain boundaries with enhanced electronic conductance. By performing atom probe tomography measurements, we find an enrichment of erbium and a depletion of oxygen at all grain boundaries. The observed compositional changes translate into a charge that exceeds possible polarization-driven effects, demonstrating that structural phenomena rather than electrostatics determine the local chemical composition and related changes in the electronic transport behavior. The study shows that the charged grain boundaries behave distinctly different from charged domain walls, giving additional opportunities for property engineering at polar oxide interfaces.