Terahertz field–induced ferroelectricity in quantum paraelectric SrTiO 3

Driving strontium titanate ferroelectric Hidden phases are metastable collective states of matter that are typically not accessible on equilibrium phase diagrams. Nova et al. used infrared pulses to excite higher-frequency lattice modes that drive the crystal into a metastable ferroelectric phase, a phase that can persist for many hours. X. Li et al. used terahertz fields to drive the soft mode that moves the ions in the crystal into the positions they occupy in the new phase. The ferroelectric phase in this case was transient, lasting on the order of 10 picoseconds. Because these hidden phases can host exotic properties in otherwise conventional materials, the accessibility to and control of such hidden…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: DMR-1719353, CHE-1808202
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Award: DE-SC0019126
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

  Award: P2ELP2-172290
• OO
  Office of Naval Research

  Award: N00014-17-1-2574