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Discovery of ferroelectricity in an elementary substance

Discovery of ferroelectricity in an elementary substance
Figure (A) shows the ball-and-stick model of black phosphorus-like bismuth (BP-Bi) with top view (top panel) and side view (bottom panel). Different from black phosphorous, BP-Bi has a nonzero buckling Δh. Figure (B) and (C) show the typical non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) image and Kelvin probe microscopy (KPFM) map of the same location respectively. Figure (D) represents the domain wall movement detected by nc-AFM when performing the polarization switching. The top and bottom halves are the images acquired after forward and backward bias sweeping respectively. Figure (E) is the tip-height dependence of the current during the bias sweep. Credit: Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05848-5

National University of Singapore (NUS) physicists have discovered a novel form of ferroelectricity in a single-element bismuth monolayer that can produce regular and reversible dipole moments for future applications of non-volatile memories and electronic sensors.

Ferroelectricity refers to the phenomenon of certain materials exhibiting a spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by applying an external electric field. Ferroelectric materials are characterized by a that lacks a center of symmetry.

Due to the potential applications for data storage, ferroelectric materials have attracted widespread research attention. Additionally, their piezoelectric, thermoelectric and nonlinear optical properties have been extensively studied in research areas such as renewable energy, micro-electro-mechanical systems and optical devices.

In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials have emerged as a new contender in the field of neuromorphic synapse devices, displaying the advantage of low dimensionality. However, the development of 2D ferroelectric materials is still limited due to the small number of available materials.

Ferroelectricity commonly occurs in compounds composed of multiple constituent elements, where the gain and loss of electrons between the constituents promotes the formation of positive and negative ions in the crystal. Regular atom distortion or charge ordering between sublattices leads to the breaking of the central symmetry, thus promoting the formation of ferroelectric polarization.

Recently, a research team led by Professor Andrew Wee from the Department of Physics under the NUS Faculty of Science, made a breakthrough discovery of the single-element ferroelectric state in 2D black phosphorus-like bismuth (BP-Bi), overturning the traditional understanding of ferroelectricity mentioned above.

By using optimized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact (nc-AFM) techniques, the researchers did a detailed observation of the centrosymmetry-breaking on the atomic structure and charge transfer between sublattices in BP-Bi. For the first time, the single-element ionicity, single-element in-plane polarization and single-element ferroelectricity were all demonstrated in the bismuth monolayer experimentally. This discovery changes the concept that ionic polarization only exists in compounds with cations and anions, and expands the scope of ferroelectricity development in the future.

This work is undertaken in collaboration with Professor Lan Chen from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Yunhao Lu from the School of Physics, Zhejiang University. The findings were published in Nature on April 5, 2023.

The researchers prepared the high-quality BP-Bi on the Van der Waals graphite surface so that the monolayer BP-Bi is intact and flat enough for the measurements. Taking advantage of the high spatial resolution of nc-AFM, the buckling atomic configuration (Dh≠0) of BP-Bi, as well as the charge redistribution between the two sublattices were determined by AFM imaging and Kelvin probe microscopy (KPFM) measurements. Thereafter, a regular in-plane dipole arrangement is confirmed in the BP-Bi monolayer. In comparison, single layer phosphorous (phosphorene) has no buckling in each sub-layer—therefore it is centrosymmetric and nonpolarized. Then, polarization switching of BP-Bi is realized by using the in-plane electric field produced by the STM tip, which is the basis for writing on the non-volatile memory devices.

Ferroelectricity relative to magnetism is advantageous for its manipulation by only the electric field. This makes it more suitable to be contained in integrated circuit devices. Many studies found that it is possible to manipulate other material attributes by coupling ferroelectricity with these properties. In BP-Bi, the buckling degree of determines the ferroelectric polarization and, at the same time, controls the basic band structure. This results in an interlock between the electronic structure and ferroelectric polarization. This new type of ferroelectricity offers a promising way to modulate the electronic structure of materials by an external electric field through ferroelectric distortion.

Dr. Jian Gou, the lead author for the research paper, said, "Other research has also shown that BP-Bi exhibits topologically nontrivial states at a specific buckling height, suggesting a potential opportunity for tuning topological states through an electric field."

In fact, the polarization characteristics have a critical impact on the basic optical and electrical properties of materials. The discovery of single-element ferroelectric polarization adds a new viewpoint to the study of the basic physical properties of elementary substances.

Prof Wee said, "In addition to overturning the common-sense idea that ionic only exists in compounds, we believe that single-element in BP-Bi would introduce a new perspective to the study and design of novel , and inspire new physics of elemental materials in the future."

More information: Jian Gou et al, Two-dimensional ferroelectricity in a single-element bismuth monolayer, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05848-5

Jian Gou et al, The effect of moiré superstructures on topological edge states in twisted bismuthene homojunctions, Science Advances (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba2773

Journal information: Science Advances , Nature

Citation: Discovery of ferroelectricity in an elementary substance (2023, April 6) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2023-04-discovery-ferroelectricity-elementary-substance.html
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