Reactive walls

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 515; no. 7527; pp. 348 - 350
• Main Authors: Ghosez, Philippe, Triscone, Jean-Marc
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.11.2014; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301; 639/766/119; Domain structure; Domain-walls; Ferroelectric crystals; Ferroelectrics; Ferromagnetic materials; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnetic fields; Magnetism; Microscopy; multidisciplinary; Multiferroics; news-and-views; Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences; Physics; Physiological aspects; Physique; Physique, chimie, mathématiques & sciences de la terre; Properties; Science; Belgium
• DOI: 10.1038/515348a
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687

Domain walls are natural borders in ferromagnetic, ferroelectric or ferroelastic materials. It seems that they can also be reactive areas that produce crystallographic phases never before observed in bulk materials. See Letter p.379 Novel properties in new 2D nanomaterials Two-dimensional materials can have properties that differ markedly from those of their bulk counterparts, a phenomenon that has long been subject to intense research. Here, Beatriz Noheda and colleagues take this notion to a new level by developing an unusual route for the synthesis of two-dimensional materials that can create unique chemical environments and novel functionalities — in this case magnetism in a complex oxide. The authors grew terbium manganite epitaxially on strontium titanate, producing chemical and magnetic properties in the ferroelectric domain walls that are distinct from the rest of the material by strain engineering. The ferroelectric domain walls act as nanometre-sized chemical reactors to promote the formation of phases with unusual chemical and magnetic properties. This technique should be applicable to other complex oxides, providing access to new nanoscale materials for applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics.