Scientists at PolyU have achieved a groundbreaking discovery in ultra-thin electronic materials, advancing the field of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics. The research team has unveiled a pioneering approach that overcomes long-standing production challenges, opening new possibilities for the next-generation of electronic devices. The breakthrough promises to accelerate technological advancements in microelectronics, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

2D ferroelectrics, particularly those produced at the nanometre scale, have emerged as ideal materials for ultra-thin devices. Led by Professor Zhao Jiong, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Physics, the team tackled the persistent challenge of large-scale synthesis by focusing on the structure and potential of 2D van der Waals materials.

Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques to observe and analyse ferroelectric domains and other crucial features, they discovered a novel method for large-scale synthesis of 2D ferroelectrics, previously thought unattainable. Their findings, published in Nature Nanotechnology, will enable the development of diverse applications, including high-density memory devices and energy conversion systems.

Further exploration of 2D van der Waals materials using TEM led the team to discover a plastic deformation mode in metal monochalcogenides which enhances their plasticity. This research, published in Nature Materials, opens the door to some amazing potential applications such as soft and flexible electronics.

The team’s recent study on in-plane polar vortex in 2D materials with twisted bilayers has paved the way towards tuning emergent quantum properties and creating promising new 2D materials. This research has been published in Science.

A new era in computing and electronics

“These discoveries will open up promising prospects for various applications, such as new computation-in-memory devices with enhanced computation capacity and speed,” said Professor Zhao, whose work heralds a new, faster-moving, more energy-efficient, and adaptable era for technology.

In recognition of his outstanding research achievements, Professor Zhao has received an award from the Excellent Young Scientists Fund under the National Natural Science Foundation of China. His projects have also won support from the Collaborative Research Fund of the Research Grants Council and the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission.

The breakthroughs were made possible by PolyU’s new Atomic Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory (AEML) under the University Research Facility in Materials Characterisation and Device Fabrication (UMF). It enabled atomic resolution observations, which directly helped the team to reveal the critical mechanisms essential for the synthesis and application of 2D ferroelectrics.