Quantized Polarization Redefines Polar Interfaces
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arXiv
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| Hauptverfasser: | , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866911283461226496 |
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| author | Pang, Hongsheng He, Lixin |
| author_facet | Pang, Hongsheng He, Lixin |
| contents | In crystalline solids, the electronic polarization follows the \emph{generalized Neumann's principle}, under which all crystallographic point groups can, in principle, support ferroelectric polarization. However, in high-symmetry structures, polarization is constrained by symmetry operations and becomes quantized into discrete values. We demonstrate that this quantized polarization (QP) is not a mathematical artifact but a \emph{symmetry-protected invariant} that encodes intrinsic information about a material's symmetry and electronic structure. Because of its discrete and non-continuous nature, when two materials with different QPs form an interface, their bulk polarization states cannot be connected adiabatically, compelling the system to develop pronounced interfacial responses: such as metallic states, bound charges, or strong lattice distortions. This theoretical framework provides a unified reinterpretation of classical systems such as the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface, revealing it as a prototypical case of QP mismatch. By establishing QP as a fundamental bulk invariant, our work uncovers a universal mechanism governing interfacial electronic phenomena and opens new pathways for the design of functional quantum materials through engineered polarization mismatch. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_18697 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Quantized Polarization Redefines Polar Interfaces Pang, Hongsheng He, Lixin Materials Science In crystalline solids, the electronic polarization follows the \emph{generalized Neumann's principle}, under which all crystallographic point groups can, in principle, support ferroelectric polarization. However, in high-symmetry structures, polarization is constrained by symmetry operations and becomes quantized into discrete values. We demonstrate that this quantized polarization (QP) is not a mathematical artifact but a \emph{symmetry-protected invariant} that encodes intrinsic information about a material's symmetry and electronic structure. Because of its discrete and non-continuous nature, when two materials with different QPs form an interface, their bulk polarization states cannot be connected adiabatically, compelling the system to develop pronounced interfacial responses: such as metallic states, bound charges, or strong lattice distortions. This theoretical framework provides a unified reinterpretation of classical systems such as the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface, revealing it as a prototypical case of QP mismatch. By establishing QP as a fundamental bulk invariant, our work uncovers a universal mechanism governing interfacial electronic phenomena and opens new pathways for the design of functional quantum materials through engineered polarization mismatch. |
| title | Quantized Polarization Redefines Polar Interfaces |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18697 |