Photo-induced nonvolatile rewritable ferroaxial switching.
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| Title: | Photo-induced nonvolatile rewritable ferroaxial switching. |
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| Authors: | Zeng, Z., Först, M., Fechner, M., Prabhakaran, D., Radaelli, P. G., Cavalleri, A. |
| Source: | Science. 10/9/2025, Vol. 390 Issue 6769, p195-198. 4p. |
| Subjects: | Photoinduced electron transfer, Ferroelectric materials, Ferromagnetic materials, Terahertz materials, Information retrieval |
| Abstract: | Ultrafast switching of ferroic phases is an active research area with technological potential. Yet, some key challenges remain, ranging from limited speeds in ferromagnets to intrinsic volatility of switched domains owing to depolarizing fields in ferroelectrics. Unlike these ferroic systems, ferroaxial materials host bistable states that preserve spatial-inversion and time-reversal symmetry and are therefore immune to depolarizing fields but also difficult to manipulate with conventional methods. We demonstrate photo-induced switching of ferroaxial order by engineering an effective axial field composed of circularly driven terahertz phonon modes. A switched ferroaxial domain remains stable for many hours and can be reversed back with a second terahertz pulse of opposite helicity. The effects demonstrated in this work may lead to the development of a robust platform for ultrafast information storage. Editor's summary: Ferroics are important materials for applications in solid-state memory storage and ultrafast switching. Ferromagnetics and ferroelectrics have stray fields that can interfere with nearby memories, resulting in depolarization and ultimately limiting storage density. By contrast, in ferroaxial materials, the electric dipoles line up head to tail, forming vortices and thereby removing the stray fields. However, these vortex states have so far been difficult to control and switch. Zeng et al. demonstrated how single optical pulses can repeatedly switch a ferroaxial phase between two stable states (see the Perspective by He and Khalsa). The controlled switching between left and right helicity could be useful in developing a new platform for ultrafast information storage. —Ian S. Osborne [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Ultrafast switching of ferroic phases is an active research area with technological potential. Yet, some key challenges remain, ranging from limited speeds in ferromagnets to intrinsic volatility of switched domains owing to depolarizing fields in ferroelectrics. Unlike these ferroic systems, ferroaxial materials host bistable states that preserve spatial-inversion and time-reversal symmetry and are therefore immune to depolarizing fields but also difficult to manipulate with conventional methods. We demonstrate photo-induced switching of ferroaxial order by engineering an effective axial field composed of circularly driven terahertz phonon modes. A switched ferroaxial domain remains stable for many hours and can be reversed back with a second terahertz pulse of opposite helicity. The effects demonstrated in this work may lead to the development of a robust platform for ultrafast information storage. Editor's summary: Ferroics are important materials for applications in solid-state memory storage and ultrafast switching. Ferromagnetics and ferroelectrics have stray fields that can interfere with nearby memories, resulting in depolarization and ultimately limiting storage density. By contrast, in ferroaxial materials, the electric dipoles line up head to tail, forming vortices and thereby removing the stray fields. However, these vortex states have so far been difficult to control and switch. Zeng et al. demonstrated how single optical pulses can repeatedly switch a ferroaxial phase between two stable states (see the Perspective by He and Khalsa). The controlled switching between left and right helicity could be useful in developing a new platform for ultrafast information storage. —Ian S. Osborne [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.adz5230 |
