Robust ferroelectric polarization retention in harsh environments through engineered domain wall pinning

Robust retention of ferroelectric polarization in harsh environments is a requirement for the application of ferroelectric materials in space, liquids, and various chemical conditions. Surface screening of the polarization can significantly alter domain states and usually has a strong influence on domain stability in ferroelectrics, hindering applications that require defined and non-volatile polarization states. Here, we show that designer defects in BiFeO3 can be engineered to strongly pin domain walls, which even in harsh environments such as 100% humidity and elevated temperatures of 175 °C leads to a superior polarization retention of several years for domain sizes well below 100 nm.