Rapid heat-assisted polarization reversal in a ferroelectric thin film

We demonstrate that switching of ferroelectric thin films sandwiched between metallic electrodes can be controlled by laser-assisted heating, reminiscent of heat-assisted magnetic recording. We employ electrical switching cycles that quantify the electrically switchable remanent polarization Pr and show that 300 ns voltage pulses alone change the polarization by less than ΔP<Pr. Transient heating of the metallic top electrode by synchronized ns laser pulses induces a reversal ΔPL>Pr of the average polarization. The transient average temperature modeled by the heat equation can rationalize the polarization change observed for different relative timings Δt of the laser pulse if it arrives before the electrical pulse.