Giant switchable non thermally-activated conduction in 180 degrees domain walls in tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3

Conductive domain walls in ferroelectrics offer a promising concept of nanoelectronic circuits with 2D domain-wall channels playing roles of memristors or synoptic interconnections. However, domain wall conduction remains challenging to control and pA-range currents typically measured on individual walls are too low for single-channel devices. Charged domain walls show higher conductivity, but are generally unstable and difficult to create. Here, we show highly conductive and stable channels on ubiquitous 180 degrees domain walls in the archetypical ferroelectric, tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3. These electrically erasable/rewritable channels show currents of tens of nanoamperes (200 to 400 nA/mu m) at voltages <= 2 V and metallic-like non thermally-activated transport properties down to 4 K, as confirmed by nanoscopic mapping. The domain structure analysis and phase-field simulations reveal complex switching dynamics, in which the extraordinary conductivity in strained Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 films is explained by an interplay between ferroelastic a- and c-domains. This work demonstrates the potential of accessible and stable arrangements of nominally uncharged and electrically switchable domain walls for nanoelectronics. Conductive domain walls are envisioned for future nanoelectronics and computational hardware. Here, the authors investigate an approach to use rewriteable arrangements of highly conductive channels based on nominally neutral 180 degrees-domain walls.