Using heterostructures that combine a large-polarization ferroelectric (BiFeO3) and a high-temperature superconductor (YBa2Cu3O7-{delta}), we demonstrate the modulation of the superconducting condensate at the nanoscale via ferroelectric field effect
s. Through this mechanism, a nanoscale pattern of normal regions that mimics the ferroelectric domain structure can be created in the superconductor. This yields an energy landscape for magnetic flux quanta and, in turn, couples the local ferroelectric polarization to the local magnetic induction. We show that this form of magnetoelectric coupling, together with the possibility to reversibly design the ferroelectric domain structure, allows the electrostatic manipulation of magnetic flux quanta.
We report on low-energy electron microscopy imaging of ferroelectric domains with submicron resolution. Periodic strips of up and down-polarized ferroelectric domains in bismuth ferrite -a room temperature multiferroic- serve as a model system to com
pare low-energy electron microscopy with the established piezoresponse force microscopy. The results confirm the possibility of full-field imaging of ferroelectric domains with short acquisition times by exploiting the sensitivity of ultraslow electrons to small variations of the electric potential near surfaces in the mirror operation mode.
