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Thermal Scanning Conductometry TSC as a General Method for Studying and Controlling the Phase Behavior of Conductive Physical Gels

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Odd Nonlinear Conductivity under Spatial Inversion in Chiral Tellurium.

Manuel Suárez-Rodríguez¹, Beatriz Martín-García^1,2, Witold Skowroński^1,3

¹CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain.

Physical Review Letters

|February 9, 2024

Summary

Chiral tellurium exhibits significant nonlinear conductivity, a property that changes sign with material handedness. This discovery opens doors for novel electronic devices and energy harvesting applications.

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Area of Science:

Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Science
Solid-State Physics

Background:

Electrical transport in noncentrosymmetric materials deviates from Ohm's law, exhibiting nonlinear conductivity.
This nonlinear behavior is intrinsically linked to the absence of spatial inversion symmetry in crystal structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate the implications of inversion symmetry on nonlinear conductivity.
To explore chiral tellurium as a material for studying fundamental nonlinear transport phenomena.
To assess the potential of chiral tellurium in developing advanced electronic devices.

Main Methods:

Measurement of nonlinear conductivity in chiral tellurium samples with opposite handedness.
Application of electrostatic gating to modulate the nonlinear transport properties.
Characterization of the relationship between crystal structure, symmetry, and electrical transport.

Main Results:

A large nonlinear conductivity was observed in chiral tellurium.
The nonlinear transport was demonstrated to be odd under spatial inversion, confirmed by using samples of opposite handedness.
Electrostatic gating achieved a 300-fold modulation of the nonlinear output, a record for non-engineered heterostructures.

Conclusions:

Chiral tellurium serves as an excellent platform for fundamental research into nonlinear transport and symmetry.
The material's properties are promising for applications in wireless rectifiers and energy-harvesting chiral devices.