Origin of Chiral Phase Transition of Polar Vortex in Ferroelectric/Dielectric Superlattices

Chiral vortices and their phase transition in ferroelectric/dielectric heterostructures have drawn significant attention in the field of condensed matter. However, the dynamical origin of the chiral phase transition from achiral to chiral polar vortices has remained elusive. Here, we develop a phase-field perturbation model and discover the softening of out-of-plane vibration mode of polar vortices in [(PbTiO3)m/(SrTiO3)m]n superlattices at a critical epitaxial strain or temperature. The softening of the mode leads to the appearance of the axial polarization at vortex cores, resulting in chiral phase transition. It is found that the local negative permittivity plays a crucial role in the enhanced oscillation of axial polarization near the phase transition. Our findings not only reveal the origin of the chiral phase transition of polar vortices but also provide considerable new insight into the dynamics of topological structures and topological phase transitions in ferroelectric systems.