Tunnel junctions based on interfacial two dimensional ferroelectrics
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Van der Waals heterostructures have opened new opportunities to develop atomically thin (opto)electronic devices with a wide range of functionalities. The recent focus on manipulating the interlayer twist angle has led to the observation of out-of-plane room temperature ferroelectricity in twisted rhombohedral bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides. Here we explore the switching behaviour of sliding ferroelectricity using scanning probe microscopy domain mapping and tunnelling transport measurements. We observe well-pronounced ambipolar switching behaviour in ferroelectric tunnelling junctions with composite ferroelectric/non-polar insulator barriers and support our experimental results with complementary theoretical modelling. Furthermore, we show that the switching behaviour is strongly influenced by the underlying domain structure, allowing the fabrication of diverse ferroelectric tunnelling junction devices with various functionalities. We show that to observe the polarisation reversal, at least one partial dislocation must be present in the device area. This behaviour is drastically different from that of conventional ferroelectric materials, and its understanding is an important milestone for the future development of optoelectronic devices based on sliding ferroelectricity.
Source: Nature Communications
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,790
Awards: G1015058392, Ferroelectric gating for agile and reconfigurable 2D electronics, G2115222242, G2158237762, G2661251470, G2703599441, G3305536412, G4048582220, G434337789, Sir Henry Royce Institute - Manchester and NNL Equipment, G504327055, Graphene Flagship Core Project 3, G5166783610, G5424142534, Two-dimensional quantum materials and devices for scalable integrated photonic circuits, G5726558813, Sir Henry Royce Institute - Manchester Build, Supporting World-Class Labs at the University of Manchester, The Royce: Capitalising on the investment, Van der Waals Heterostructures of 2D Materials, G708391930, G715292007, G7445816383, G7514479249, Sir Henry Royce InsStitute - recurrent grant, G8185224989, G87373762, G8823322089, G887491987, Quantum Materials by Twistronics
OpenAlex ID: W4398770916