Dielectric and lattice dynamical properties of SrTiO₃ thin films

Pulsed-laser-dcposited SrTiO₃ thin films are used as all example to illustrate the effects of strain, oxygen vacancies, and interfacial dead layer on the dielectric and lattice dynamical properties in ferroelectric thin films. We found that strain, both lattice mismatch-induced and due to local defects such as oxygen vacancies, dramatically influences the properties of the thin films. The cubic-to-tetragonal structural phase transition is greatly modified by the strain in the films. Raman scattering shows the symmetry-forbidden optical phonons, indicating the reduction of symmetry. The line shape of the polar phonon shows a Fano asymmetry, which we suggest to be due to the micro polar regions or other local polar structures around the oxygen vacancies. The temperature dependence of the low-frequency complex dielectric constant shows markedly distinct quantum fluctuation behaviors from those of the single crystals. The soft mode is considerably hardened in the thin films compared to the single crystals.