Ferroelectric vortex domain structure which exists in low-dimensional ferroelectrics is being intensively researched for future applications in functional nanodevices. Here we demonstrate that adjusting surface charge screening in combination with temperature can provide an efficient way to gain control of vortex domain structure in ferroelectric nanodot. Systematical simulating experiments have been conducted to reveal the stability and evolution mechanisms of domain structure in ferroelectric nanodot under various conditions, including processes of cooling-down/heating-up under different surface charge screening conditions, and increasing/decreasing surface charge screening at different temperatures. Fruitful phase diagrams as functions of surface screening and temperature are presented, together with evolution paths of various domain patterns. Calculations discover up to 25 different kinds of domain patterns and 22 typical evolution paths of phase transitions. The fruitful controllability of vortex domain structure by surface charge screening in combination with temperature should shed light on prospective nanodevice applications of low-dimensional ferroelectric nanostructures.

Phase field simulations have been conducted to investigate the vortex domain structure in ferroelectric nanodots epitaxially grown on ferroelectric nanofilm. It is found that the nanodot region has great impact on the domain evolution of the whole system. At suitable conditions (e.g., geometry, size, temperature, external strain, and electric field), the nanodot adopts a vortex domain pattern while the nanofilm maintains a polar domain. Interestingly, the vortex domain pattern of the nanodot can be switched by controlling the direction of the adjacent polar domain. Our study indicates an alternative strategy for controlling the chirality of vortex domain structure in nano-ferroelectrics.

Degenerated vortex states in ferroelectric nanodots are distinguished by characteristic short-circuit I–t curve under a controllable surface charge condition.