Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Electric field-induced changes in the electrical resistance of a material are considered essential and enabling processes for future efficient large-scale computations. However, the underlying physical mechanisms of electroresistance are currently remain largely unknown. Herein, an electrically reversible resistance change has been observed in the thermoelectric α-Cu2Se. The spontaneous electric dipoles formed by Cu+ ions displaced from their positions at the centers of Se-tetrahedrons in the ordered α-Cu2Se phase are examined, and α-Cu2Se phase is identified to be a multipolar antiferroelectric semiconductor. When exposed to the applied voltage, a reversible switching of crystalline domains aligned parallel to the polar axis results in an observed reversible resistance change. The study expands on opportunities for semiconductors with localized polar symmetry as the hardware basis for future computational architectures.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Hui Bai, Jinsong Wu, Xianli Su, Haoyang Peng, Zhi Li, Dongwang Yang, Qingjie Zhang, Ctirad Uher, Xinfeng Tang
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,560
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, National Supercomputing Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information
OpenAlex ID: W4200578679