Chiral soft mode transition driven by strain in ferroelectric bubble domains

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Dey, Urmimala, Fedorova, Natalya S., Íñiguez-González, Jorge, Aramberri, Hugo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Dey, Urmimala
Fedorova, Natalya S.
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Aramberri, Hugo
author_facet Dey, Urmimala
Fedorova, Natalya S.
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Aramberri, Hugo
contents Chirality in solids is attracting growing attention as a potential ferroic order, yet virtually no paradigmatic example of a soft-mode achiral-to-chiral phase transition has been firmly established to date. Here we identify ferroelectric bubble domains as a model system that undergoes a strain-driven achiral-to-chiral transition exhibiting the hallmarks of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Using second-principles atomistic simulations, we uncover chiral phonon modes in ferroelectric/dielectric superlattices that soften under epitaxial strain following textbook soft-mode behaviour. The transition is accompanied by a change in topological character, highlighting an interplay between chirality and topology in these systems. This work provides a concrete step towards establishing chirality as a genuine ferroic order in solids.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_17573
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chiral soft mode transition driven by strain in ferroelectric bubble domains
Dey, Urmimala
Fedorova, Natalya S.
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Aramberri, Hugo
Materials Science
Chirality in solids is attracting growing attention as a potential ferroic order, yet virtually no paradigmatic example of a soft-mode achiral-to-chiral phase transition has been firmly established to date. Here we identify ferroelectric bubble domains as a model system that undergoes a strain-driven achiral-to-chiral transition exhibiting the hallmarks of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Using second-principles atomistic simulations, we uncover chiral phonon modes in ferroelectric/dielectric superlattices that soften under epitaxial strain following textbook soft-mode behaviour. The transition is accompanied by a change in topological character, highlighting an interplay between chirality and topology in these systems. This work provides a concrete step towards establishing chirality as a genuine ferroic order in solids.
title Chiral soft mode transition driven by strain in ferroelectric bubble domains
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17573