Domain-dependent strain and stacking in two-dimensional van der Waals ferroelectrics

Abstract

Van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectrics have attracted significant attention for their potential in next-generation nano-electronics. Two-dimensional (2D) group-IV monochalcogenides have emerged as a promising candidate due to their strong room temperature in-plane polarization down to a monolayer limit. However, their polarization is strongly coupled with the lattice strain and stacking orders, which impact their electronic properties. Here, we utilize four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) to simultaneously probe the in-plane strain and out-of-plane stacking in vdW SnSe. Specifically, we observe large lattice strain up to 4% with a gradient across ~50 nm to compensate lattice mismatch at domain walls, mitigating defects initiation. Additionally, we discover the unusual ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric domain walls stabilized by vdW force and may lead to anisotropic nonlinear optical responses. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of in-plane and out-of-plane structures affecting domain properties in vdW SnSe, laying the foundation for domain wall engineering in vdW ferroelectrics.

Description
Advisor
Degree
Type
Journal article
Keywords
Citation

Shi, C., Mao, N., Zhang, K., Zhang, T., Chiu, M.-H., Ashen, K., Wang, B., Tang, X., Guo, G., Lei, S., Chen, L., Cao, Y., Qian, X., Kong, J., & Han, Y. (2023). Domain-dependent strain and stacking in two-dimensional van der Waals ferroelectrics. Nature Communications, 14(1), 7168. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42947-3

Has part(s)
Forms part of
Rights
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the terms of the license or beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
Citable link to this page