Migration-induced field-stabilized polar phase in strontium titanate single crystals at room temperature

Local reversible structural changes in SrTiO3 single crystals in an external electric field are induced by oxygen redistribution. We present in situ x-ray diffraction measurements during and immediately after electroformation. Several reflections are monitored and show an elongation of the cubic unit cell of strontium titanate. Raman investigations verify that the expansion of the unit cell involves a transition from the centrosymmetric to a lower symmetry phase. During a complete formation cycle, including the hold time of the electric field and relaxation time without field, two different dynamics are observed for the reversible transitions from cubic symmetry to tetragonal distortion: a slow one during the increase of the lattice constant in field direction and a fast one after switching off the electric field. Based on the experimental data, we propose the formation of a polar strontium titanate unit cell at room temperature stabilized by the electric field, which is referred to as migration-induced field-stabilized polar phase.