Oral presentation

Session Information

Location: Science and Cultural Center - FORTH
Day: 3. Friday 18th
Time: 09:00-09:30
Chairperson: to be announced…

Presentation Details

Presentation Type: Oral presentation
Title: Surface and strain control of polar textures in nanoscale ferroelectrics
Abstract: Polar textures in nanoscale ferroelectrics are promising for applications because their spatial structure can be used as an additional handle for switching, memory, and material-based computing. Their practical use depends on finding realistic ways to stabilize and control them in confined geometries. In this talk, I will discuss two mechanical routes to control polar textures in ferroelectric nanostructures. The first is strain control. In ferroelectric nanowires, nanoparticles, and thin films, the competition between electrostatic and elastic interactions may lead to non-uniform vortex and helical polarization states [1–3]. Strain, temperature, and geometry can therefore be used to construct phase diagrams and select different polar configurations. The second route is surface-tension control in freestanding ferroelectrics. At the nanoscale, surface tension becomes an important mechanical factor and can strongly modify the stability of polar states. Recent results show that surface tension can stabilize vortex states in ferroelectric nanorods and drive phase transitions in freestanding thin films [4,5]. This provides a substrate-independent way to control polar textures, complementary to conventional strain engineering. Overall, I will show how elastic and surface effects can provide practical control parameters for ferroelectric polar textures, with possible relevance for nanoscale memory and emerging computing concepts. [1] S. Kondovych, et al. SciPost Physics, 14(3), 056 (2023). [2] M. A. Pavlenko, et al. Crystals, 12(4), 453 (2022). [3] L. Boron, et al. arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.06508 (2025). [4] F. Di Rino, et al. Communications Materials, 6(1), 57 (2025). [5] S. Kondovych, et al. Nano Letters, 25(34), 12987-12994 (2025).

Presenter

Dr Svitlana Kondovych
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden | Germany

Authors

1. Kondovych, Svitlana | Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Helmholzstr. 20, D-01069 Dresden, Germany