Metal–ferroelectric supercrystals with periodically curved metallic layers

Simultaneous manipulation of multiple boundary conditions in nanoscale heterostructures offers a versatile route to stabilizing unusual structures and emergent phases. Here, we show that stable supercrystal phase comprising three-dimensional ordering domains with tailored periodicities can be engineered PbTiO3–SrRuO3 ferroelectric–metal superlattices. A combination laboratory synchrotron X-ray diffraction, piezoresponse force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy phase-field simulations reveals complex hierarchical domain structure forms minimize the elastic electrostatic energy. Large local deformations ferroelectric lattice are accommodated by periodic modulations metallic SrRuO3 layers curvatures up 107 m?1. Our results multidomain systems exploited as templates induce large correlated materials, present for engineering materials modulated structural electronic properties controlled using electric fields. Ferroelectric superlattices rich variety phenomena. PbTiO3/SrRuO3 superlattices, it is shown form, metal showing curvatures.