Engineering of ferroelectricity in thin films using lattice chemistry: A perspective

Ferroelectric materials hold significant potential for ultralow-energy-consuming oxide electronics and have recently been pointed out as a suitable platform for next-generation neuromorphic and reservoir computing schemes. We provide a brief overview of the progress in engineering electric dipole textures of epitaxial ferroelectric oxide thin films, with an emphasis on the technologically relevant ultrathin regime. In epitaxial films that are only a few unit-cells thick, surface chemistry and interfacial electrostatics are commonly considered limiting factors in ferroelectric device integration, as they may suppress the net ferroelectric behavior. Here, we highlight how nanoscale lattice chemistry control, including off-stoichiometry and layer polarization in oxides, can, in fact, emerge as powerful tools for engineering ferroelectricity in thin films. We also discuss the potential of such an approach in the context of recent trends in the field, such as the design of ferroelectric freestanding membranes and the optical control of polarization in thin films. Hence, with our Perspective article, we aim to provide key insights on the use of lattice chemistry for ferroelectricity engineering in thin films to facilitate exciting developments in ferroelectric-based applications.