{
  "abstract": "Wurtzite ferroelectrics offer a route to semiconductor-compatible non-volatile devices, but their large coercive fields (E$_c$) constrain the operating window between polarization reversal, leakage and dielectric breakdown. Atomically localized and non-classical switching fronts have recently been identified in wurtzite nitrides, yet the microscopic feature that sets the coercive field remains unresolved. Here we use large-scale reactive molecular dynamics, parameterized against first-principles data, to follow field-driven reversal in pristine, Mg-modified and heterostructured ZnO. Reversal proceeds through rugged inversion-boundary filaments in agreement with recent observations in other wurtzite ferroelectrics. We find that the field required for switching is controlled by the advancing filament head, which is a under-coordinated reconstructed inversion-boundary region during the transient switching dynamics with a large field-aligned local polar-order amplitude that is only partially compensated by an oppositely oriented surrounding shell. Controlled strain-only and charge-doping-only perturbations show that charge redistribution lowers the coercive field more effectively than strain because it suppresses this field-setting unscreened local polar order at the filament head, with the combined effect lowering E$_c$ by $\\sim$ 50 \\%. Layered ZnO/ZnMgO architectures further create buried nucleation sites and shorten filament propagation lengths. These results connect atomistic switching topology to a materials-design principle for substantially reducing coercive fields in ZnO-based wurtzite ferroelectrics.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.16570",
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Abhijeet Dhakane"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alireza Sepehrinezhad"
    },
    {
      "name": "William Prudnick"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jon-Paul Maria"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bobby Sumpter"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adri C. T. van Duin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kyle P. Kelley"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Ganesh"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2sz69w6cga7es.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.16570",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2sz69w6cga7es",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16570",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mes-hall"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.16570",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2sz69w6cga7es.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:41Z",
      "native_id": "2609.16570",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16570"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mes-hall",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Origin and Reduction of Coercive Fields in ZnO-based Wurtzite Ferroelectrics",
  "title_text": "Origin and Reduction of Coercive Fields in ZnO-based Wurtzite Ferroelectrics",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2sz69w6cga7es",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}