Millimeter-wave dielectric tunability driven by topological polar structure switching in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

Millimeter-wave dielectric tunability driven by topological polar structure switching in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Millimeter-wave dielectric tunability driven by topological polar structure switching in PbTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 superlattices Qian Li, Sixu Wang, jiyuan yang, Hanbin Gao, Kazuki Okamoto, Rui Liu, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6192287/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Dielectric tunability induced by an external electric field in materials underpins radio frequency signal modulation devices such as phase shifters, which are critical components in wireless communication and sensing systems. However, the tunability and integrability of current devices have yet to be enhanced for emerging applications, particularly at millimeter-wave frequencies. Here, we demonstrate that topological polar structures formed in PbTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 superlattices exhibit large tunable in-plane dielectric properties, as determined by their multiscale structural configurations and polarization switching behaviors. Under a moderate field of 30 kV cm -1 , the dipole wave structure maintains a tunability exceeding 10% at 70 GHz and above 8% over the measured range up to 110 GHz, contrasting with the weakly tunable flux closure structure. Based on in situ structural characterizations and molecular dynamics simulations, we delineate the polarization switching processes and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed tunable millimeter-wave dielectric responses. Our results provide new insights into the high-frequency dielectric properties of topological polar phases, potentially broadening the versatility of these materials in next-generation integrated electronic applications. Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Ferroelectrics and multiferroics Physical sciences/Materials science/Materials for devices Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SourceData.xlsx Source Data dwmmwSIrev1v1QL.pdf Supplementary Information SupplementaryMovie1.gif Supplementary Movie 1 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6192287","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":502059374,"identity":"70285bc7-84bc-430c-af7e-c2fab8010fe3","order_by":0,"name":"Qian 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