Phase-Change-Assisted Electrostatic Doping Enabling Nonvolatile Programmability of 2D Materials

The ability to tailor the electronic properties of 2D materials through external stimuli is crucial for advancing their applications in electronics, photonics, and quantum technologies. However, existing methods are predominantly restricted to directional or transient modulations. In this work, phase-change materials (PCMs) are introduced as a mean to manipulate the electronic states within 2D materials by constructing a heterostructure composed of PCM and 2D materials. Through the application of femtosecond laser pulses for the precise regulation of the PCM's crystallinity, charge carriers are dynamically injected into 2D materials and substantial changes are induced in their electronic states. This concept is validated by achieving a fivefold modulation of the photoluminescence intensity in monolayer WS₂. The nonvolatile characteristic of the PCM guarantees that the modulation is stable and enduring. Moreover, this phase-change-assisted electrostatic modulation approach is universal and can be readily extended to diverse combinations of PCMs and 2D materials. This work presents a novel nonvolatile electronic state modulation strategy, opening up new avenues for the advancement of next-generation optoelectronic devices, especially those featuring high energy efficiency.