Atomic-level polarization reversal in sliding ferroelectric semiconductors
10.1038/s41467-024-48218-z
Crossref journal-article
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Nature Communications (297)
Abstract

AbstractIntriguing “slidetronics” has been reported in van der Waals (vdW) layered non-centrosymmetric materials and newly-emerging artificially-tuned twisted moiré superlattices, but correlative experiments that spatially track the interlayer sliding dynamics at atomic-level remain elusive. Here, we address the decisive challenge to in-situ trace the atomic-level interlayer sliding and the induced polarization reversal in vdW-layered yttrium-doped γ-InSe, step by step and atom by atom. We directly observe the real-time interlayer sliding by a 1/3-unit cell along the armchair direction, corresponding to vertical polarization reversal. The sliding driven only by low energetic electron-beam illumination suggests rather low switching barriers. Additionally, we propose a new sliding mechanism that supports the observed reversal pathway, i.e., two bilayer units slide towards each other simultaneously. Our insights into the polarization reversal via the atomic-scale interlayer sliding provide a momentous initial progress for the ongoing and future research on sliding ferroelectrics towards non-volatile storages or ferroelectric field-effect transistors.

Bibliography

Sui, F., Li, H., Qi, R., Jin, M., Lv, Z., Wu, M., Liu, X., Zheng, Y., Liu, B., Ge, R., Wu, Y.-N., Huang, R., Yue, F., Chu, J., & Duan, C. (2024). Atomic-level polarization reversal in sliding ferroelectric semiconductors. Nature Communications, 15(1).

Authors 15
  1. Fengrui Sui (first)
  2. Haoyang Li (additional)
  3. Ruijuan Qi (additional)
  4. Min Jin (additional)
  5. Zhiwei Lv (additional)
  6. Menghao Wu (additional)
  7. Xuechao Liu (additional)
  8. Yufan Zheng (additional)
  9. Beituo Liu (additional)
  10. Rui Ge (additional)
  11. Yu-Ning Wu (additional)
  12. Rong Huang (additional)
  13. Fangyu Yue (additional)
  14. Junhao Chu (additional)
  15. Chungang Duan (additional)
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Dates
Type When
Created 1 year, 3 months ago (May 7, 2024, 7:02 a.m.)
Deposited 1 year, 2 months ago (May 24, 2024, 11:32 p.m.)
Indexed 15 minutes ago (Aug. 20, 2025, 11:09 p.m.)
Issued 1 year, 3 months ago (May 7, 2024)
Published 1 year, 3 months ago (May 7, 2024)
Published Online 1 year, 3 months ago (May 7, 2024)
Funders 1
  1. National Natural Science Foundation of China 10.13039/501100001809

    Region: Asia

    gov (National government)

    Labels11
    1. Chinese National Science Foundation
    2. Natural Science Foundation of China
    3. National Science Foundation of China
    4. NNSF of China
    5. NSF of China
    6. 国家自然科学基金委员会
    7. National Nature Science Foundation of China
    8. Guójiā Zìrán Kēxué Jījīn Wěiyuánhuì
    9. NSFC
    10. NNSF
    11. NNSFC
    Awards1
    1. 12134003

@article{Sui_2024, title={Atomic-level polarization reversal in sliding ferroelectric semiconductors}, volume={15}, ISSN={2041-1723}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48218-z}, DOI={10.1038/s41467-024-48218-z}, number={1}, journal={Nature Communications}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Sui, Fengrui and Li, Haoyang and Qi, Ruijuan and Jin, Min and Lv, Zhiwei and Wu, Menghao and Liu, Xuechao and Zheng, Yufan and Liu, Beituo and Ge, Rui and Wu, Yu-Ning and Huang, Rong and Yue, Fangyu and Chu, Junhao and Duan, Chungang}, year={2024}, month=may }