Atomic Layer Engineering of High-κ Ferroelectricity in 2D Perovskites

Complex perovskite oxides offer tremendous potential for controlling their rich variety of electronic properties, including high-T_C superconductivity, high-κ ferroelectricity, and quantum magnetism. Atomic-scale control of these intriguing properties in ultrathin perovskites is an important challenge for exploring new physics and device functionality at atomic dimensions. Here, we demonstrate atomic-scale engineering of dielectric responses using two-dimensional (2D) homologous perovskite nanosheets (Ca₂Na_m-3Nb_mO_3m+1; m = 3-6). In this homologous 2D material, the thickness of the perovskite layers can be incrementally controlled by changing m, and such atomic layer engineering enhances the high-κ dielectric response and local ferroelectric instability. The end member (m = 6) attains a high dielectric constant of ∼470, which is the highest among all known dielectrics in the ultrathin region (<10 nm). These results provide a new strategy for achieving high-κ ferroelectrics for use in ultrascaled high-density capacitors and post-graphene technology.