Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026

All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
Published on: January 19, 2018
Coupled polarization dynamics and charge tunneling enable reconfigurable heterojunctions
Ce Li1, Tianze Yu1, Zirui Zhang1
1Centre for Quantum Physics, Key Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Quantum Architecture and Measurement (MOE), School of Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Layered CuInP₂S₆ provides robust ferroelectric polarization and strong local fields, enabling low-voltage, nonvolatile modulation, multilevel states, and analog weight updates for neuromorphic devices. However, devices driven solely by CuInP₂S₆ suffer from limited tunability and single-mechanism control inadequate for large-scale complementary logic and heterogeneous integration. In this work, we construct a ferroelectric heterostructure that simultaneously regulates ferroelectric polarization and charge tunneling, enabling nonvolatile memory operation with an on/off ratio exceeding 106, endurance up to 105 cycles, and stable retention of 16 distinct memory states for over 103 s. The distinct modulation effects of polarization and tunneling on channel transport enable controllably reconfigurable adjustment, yielding a high diode rectification ratio. By exploiting the difference between the coercive voltage and the tunneling threshold, multimode regulation of junction configurations (including nn, np, pp, and pn junctions) is realized. In addition, the device achieves logic-in-memory functionality within a single cell. Such a coupled polarization dynamics and tunneling effect enables the device to achieve high integration, energy efficiency, and multifunctionality, effectively reducing circuit complexity for next-generation intelligent computing, sensing, and edge applications.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Biasing of P-N Junction
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The...
P-N junction
Semiconductors
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Carrier Generation and Recombination
This process is given by the generation rate G and is efficient due to the conservation of momentum between the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum.
Indirect generation involves an...

