Strontium titanate (SrTiO₃, STO) and potassium tantalate (KTaO­₃, KTO) are quantum paraelectrics with cubic perovskite structures at room temperature. These two materials serve as excellent candidates for plastic deformation because of their outstanding room temperature ductility. Recent work on plastically-deformed STO has shown an enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature and the emergence of local ferroelectricity near strain-induced self-organized dislocation walls [1]. Building on this study, we investigate the influence of compressive plastic deformation on the cubic-to-tetragonal structural transition in STO and on the structural and electronic properties of KTO.

References

[1] S. Hameed, D. Pelc, Z. W. Anderson, A. Klein, R. J. Spieker, L. Yue, B. Das, J. Ramberger, M. Lukas, Y. Liu, M. J. Krogstad, R. Osborn, Y. Li, C. Leighton, R. M. Fernandes, and M. Greven,. Nat. Mater. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01102-3

*Work supported by the Department of Energy through the University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials under DE-SC0016371.

*Scattering Facilities are provided by the DOE User Facilities Division