Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026
10:40
A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy
Published on: April 8, 2018
8.6K
Room-temperature ferroelectricity in MoTe2 down to the atomic monolayer limit
Shuoguo Yuan1, Xin Luo1,2, Hung Lit Chan1
1Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China.
Nature Communications
|April 18, 2019
Summary
Researchers discovered robust room-temperature ferroelectricity in monolayer molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2). This finding in the distorted 1T phase opens doors for novel atomic-scale electronic devices and applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Ferroelectric materials enable diverse applications but face challenges with depolarization effects.
- Maintaining ferroelectricity at the nanoscale, especially in two-dimensional (2D) materials, remains a significant hurdle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover and characterize robust room-temperature ferroelectricity in monolayer materials.
- To investigate the potential of the unexploited distorted 1T (d1T) phase of molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2).
- To explore the application of this ferroelectricity in electronic devices.
Main Methods:
- Combined first-principles calculations with experimental studies.
- Investigated the structural and electronic properties of monolayer MoTe2 in the d1T phase.
- Fabricated and tested MoTe2-based van der Waals heterostructures for device performance.
Main Results:
- Discovery of robust room-temperature out-of-plane ferroelectricity in monolayer MoTe2.
- Identified spontaneous symmetry breaking due to relative atomic displacements of Mo and Te atoms as the origin of ferroelectricity.
- Achieved a large ON/OFF resistance ratio in ferroelectric devices utilizing MoTe2-based heterostructures.
Conclusions:
- Ferroelectricity is achievable in 2D layered materials down to the atomic monolayer limit.
- The d1T phase of MoTe2 exhibits promising ferroelectric properties at room temperature.
- This discovery paves the way for new functionalities and applications in atomic-scale electronics.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Atomic Spectroscopy: Effects of Temperature
865
Atomization, converting samples into gas-phase atoms and ions, is essential for atomic spectroscopy. The flame temperature required for atomization affects the efficiency of the atomic spectroscopic methods by increasing the atomization efficiency and the relative population of the excited and ground states.
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature...
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature...
865
01:33Atomic Structure
208.1K
Overview
208.1K
01:52Atomic Mass
69.9K
Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
69.9K
02:27Limiting Reactant
69.6K
The relative amounts of reactants and products represented in a balanced chemical equation are often referred to as stoichiometric amounts. However, in reality, the reactants are not always present in the stoichiometric amounts indicated by the balanced equation.
69.6K
02:44Atomic Orbitals
43.6K
An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.
43.6K
03:24Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I
66.5K
The mathematical expression known as the wave function, ψ, contains information about each orbital and the wavelike properties of electrons in an isolated atom. When atoms are bound together in a molecule, the wave functions combine to produce new mathematical descriptions that have different shapes. This process of combining the wave functions for atomic orbitals is called hybridization and is mathematically accomplished by the linear combination of atomic orbitals. The new orbitals that...
66.5K