Observation of one-dimensional, charged domain walls in ferroelectric ZrO 2
- Hai Zhong
- Shiyu Wang
- Qinghua Zhang
- Zhuohui Liu
- Donggang Xie
- Jiali Lu
- Shifeng Jin
- Shufang Zhang
- Er-Jia Guo
- Meng He
- Can Wang
- Lin Gu
- Guozhen Yang
- Kui-juan Jin
- Chen Ge
2026-01-22
Ferroelectric charged domain walls (CDWs) with nanoscale thickness and bound charges are typically viewed as ultrathin, reconfigurable, and highly conductive two-dimensional components for domain wall nanoelectronics. Dimensional confinement of such polar topological structures has the potential to increase device density and unlock novel functionalities. We report 180° head-to-head and tail-to-tail CDWs exhibiting one-dimensional (1D) characteristics. These 1D CDWs are confined within the polar layers of ferroelectric ZrO 2 and have atomic-scale dimensions in both width and thickness. Quantitative analysis unveils a distinct screening mechanism of these walls whereby bound polarization charges are compensated by self-balancing oxygen occupancy. We demonstrate electric field–driven manipulation of these 1D CDWs, revealing the microscopic coupling between polarization switching and oxygen-ion transport.