"Slide-Tronics"

A new ferroelectric system, only two-atoms-thick is presented [1]. Stacking two layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) atop each other, with a parallel crystal orientation, results in a permanent electric polarization pointing out of the plane. Furthermore, applying an opposite external electric field switches the vertical polarization by a horizontal sliding between the layers of a full atomic spacing distance. I will describe the atomic force experiment, DFT calculations, and a simplistic cohesion model, allowing us to explore the interfacial-ferroelectricity and its unique Slide-Tronics switching mechanism.

If time allows, I will further discuss our efforts to induce intrinsic electric and magnetic gauge fields in graphene by particular strain-engineering schemes [2].

 

[1] https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.05182

[2] https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.09991