Stabilization and Chirality Control of Topological Meron Textures in Radially Graded Ferroelectric Materials

Abstract

Polar Meron textures possess unique electric dipole arrangements and electrical responses, offering potential for advanced technologies. While balancing elastic and electrostatic energies has shown promise in creating these textures, achieving precise control remains an ongoing challenge. Here, we introduce a method for inducing a topological Meron texture through electrostatic energy manipulation via a gradient design in material distribution. A phase diagram for polar textures in radially graded ferroelectric thin films is constructed using phase-field modeling. Our results show the stabilization of Meron textures, which geometrically and topologically distinguish from conventional vortex structures. This Meron state is characterized by out-of-plane polarization and toroidal moments, which are tunable with electric fields. A curled electric field can switch the Meron handedness, while homogeneous fields can modify both handedness and chirality. These insights into topological configurations in ferroelectric materials could drive further exploration and innovative applications in next-generation device technologies.