Polar phase transition in $180^{\circ}$-domain wall of lead titanate

Abstract

A new mechanism leading to a switchable polarization in a ferroelectric domain wall (DW) is proposed. A biquadratic coupling of the primary order parameter and its gradient triggers the phase transition in the DW with softening of the local polar mode and anomalous increase of the susceptibility at the phase transition temperature $T_{DW}$. This mechanism describes the origin and properties of the polar Bloch and antipolar N\'eel components in the $180^\circ$-DW of PbTiO$_3$, which were recently reported from first-principles calculations.