The relationship between ferroelectric domains and nonlinear optical responses in two-dimensional van der Waals ferroelectric materials is investigated through theoretical calculations and experimental characterization. Using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and polarization-resolved second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, we conducted synergistic characterization of the ferroelectric domain distribution and nonlinear optical response characteristics in CuInP2S6 (CIPS) nanosheets, followed by comparative analysis with theoretical calculation results. The study reveals non-Ising-type domain walls in CIPS and demonstrates significant modulation of SHG responses by the spatial distribution of ferroelectric domains. In domains with uniform polarization direction, the SHG polarization patterns closely match theoretical predictions, showing ordered alignment of electric dipoles along specific in-plane crystal axes ([100] direction). Conversely, structural disorder in domain arrangements leads to attenuated SHG intensity and reduced anisotropy, indicating enhanced local disorder in dipole alignment.
CIPS晶体属于单斜晶系m点群,空间群为Cc[30]。图3(a)为CIPS沿 c* 方向(即SHG入射的z方向)的原子结构示意图,CIPS属于单斜晶系(β = 107°),晶体坐标系是非正交的,图中 a 、 b 和 c 为晶胞的三个基矢,其中 a、b 与x、y一致, c*与z轴相同。 Cu+离子占据层间八面体位点,与6个S2-配位形成扭曲的八面体,In3+位于层内,与6个S2-形成八面体配位,与P2S6基团共边连接,P2S6基团中每个P原子与3个S原子形成三角锥结构(PS3),两个PS3单元通过共享S原子形成P2S6二聚体[31]。温度降至居里温度(~315 K)[32]以下,Cu+沿 c 轴方向集体偏移,打破中心对称性,产生自发极化。其面内偶极子朝向 a 轴方向(即晶轴([100]方向))。
其二次谐波(SHG)极化响应与入射光电场的关系可通过二阶非线性光学张量( d )描述,见(1)式:
其中,,,为二阶非线性极化强度的分量;ε0 为真空介电常数;,,为入射光电场强度的分量;由于二阶非线性光学张量的矩阵元dijk 在最后两个索引上满足对称性dijk =dikj (即电场分量顺序互换不影响响应),可将 d 压缩为3×6矩阵(Voigt标记法),式中dij 为 d 的矩阵元,其中,第一指标(i=1,2,3)对应二阶极化强度的分量(x,y,z),第二指标(j=1,2,…,6)采用Voigt标记法,对应入射光的电场分量(xx,yy,zz,yz=zy,xz=zx,xy=yx)。当实验采用垂直入射几何(光轴沿样品法线方向,=0)时,所有含z分量的矩阵元(如d31,d33,d15等)对测量无贡献,仅需考虑面内(x⁃y平面)分量。
当基波(FW,波长1 064 nm)的偏振方向与x轴成θ角时,有:
代入(1)式可以得到二阶极化强度的分量、:
SHG光路采用平行配置,所测得的SHG电场强度与其分量和满足:
对于电偶极辐射,其远场区的电场强度与极化强度满足如下关系:
于是,可得出测得的SHG强度,如(2)式:
图3(a)为 c *方向CIPS原子结构示意图,图3(b)为根据计算结果绘制CIPS平行分量SHG强度关于入射基频光偏振角度θ的极化图。图3(b)中点为实验测得CIPS的平行分量SHG强度极化图,曲线为以d11主导的计算结果。通过拟合实验极化图,我们发现∣d11∣远大于∣d12∣和∣d26∣,表明CIPS的SHG响应主要由d11主导。理论计算SHG极化图呈一个由d11主导的闭合的两瓣形状,与图3(a)原子结构对应,其中0°对应CIPS的a轴(即晶轴[100]方向),SHG两瓣代表沿面内偶极子方向,各向异性与极化方向一致。这一面内极化与SHG对应的现象与Fang等[20]对NbOI2的研究结果一致。
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