Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating
Published on: April 12, 2018
Electrostatic Control of Li+ Density and Transport Rate in Double-Gated van der Waals Devices
E Hoenig1,2, X Zhang1,2, C Li1,2
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, ManchesterM13 9PL, U.K.
Abstract:
Ion transport in crystalline hosts is controlled by an applied potential that simultaneously sets ionic distribution and transport rate, restricting operation to a one-dimensional control space. Here we show that the transport rate of Li+ ions in double-gated van der Waals devices can be modulated while the system occupies fixed ionic-density states. We measure the ionic current along the van der Waals interfaces between hexagonal boron nitride and graphene or MoS2 while simultaneously monitoring the in-plane electronic response. The ionic current exhibits pronounced hysteresis, with plateaus marking discrete ionic-density states balanced by electronic charge, while an independently tunable electrochemical-potential drop controls the ionic transport rate. The devices sustain over 1,000 switching cycles and function as hybrid ionic-electronic transistors capable of logic operations and memory retention, with ON/OFF ratios exceeding 2 orders of magnitude. This work demonstrates a two-dimensional control space for ions intercalated in layered materials.
Related Concept Videos
The Electrical Double Layer
Theory of Strong Electrolytes
Processes at Electrodes
Biasing of FET
In an N-channel JFET, the structure consists of N-type material forming the channel on a P-type substrate, with the gate...
Van der Waals Interactions
Carrier Transport
Drift Current:
The drift of charge carriers is started by an external electric field (E). Charged particles, such as electrons and holes, experience an acceleration between collisions with lattice atoms. For electrons, this results in a drift velocity (vd) given by:

