Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides

Abstract Fundamentally, ferroelectrics must belong to a noncentrosymmetric space group, limiting the exploration of more new ferroelectric materials. We circumvent this limitation by triggering structure distortion and inducing ferroelectricity in centrosymmetric van der Waals group-IV monochalcogen...

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Main Authors: Fengrui Sui, Yilun Yu, Ju Chen, Ruijuan Qi, Rui Ge, Yufan Zheng, Beituo Liu, Rong Jin, Shijing Gong, Fangyu Yue, Junhao Chu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57138-5
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author Fengrui Sui
Yilun Yu
Ju Chen
Ruijuan Qi
Rui Ge
Yufan Zheng
Beituo Liu
Rong Jin
Shijing Gong
Fangyu Yue
Junhao Chu
author_facet Fengrui Sui
Yilun Yu
Ju Chen
Ruijuan Qi
Rui Ge
Yufan Zheng
Beituo Liu
Rong Jin
Shijing Gong
Fangyu Yue
Junhao Chu
author_sort Fengrui Sui
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Fundamentally, ferroelectrics must belong to a noncentrosymmetric space group, limiting the exploration of more new ferroelectric materials. We circumvent this limitation by triggering structure distortion and inducing ferroelectricity in centrosymmetric van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenide GeSe semiconductor that features unexpected intrinsic out-of-plane antiferroelectricity. Double-type and single-type hysteresis loops from electric measurements, bonding distortion observed in in-situ atomic imaging, and perpendicular polarization uncovered by first-principles calculations, confirm the intrinsic out-of-plane antiferroelectricity and the antiferroelectric–ferroelectric transition induced by the vertical external electric-field. The hidden out-of-plane antiferroelectricity and field induced ferroelectric polarization in spatial-inversion symmetric GeSe makes it a new member of van der Waals layered semiconductors with both in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectricity, and possibly, can be extended to all group-IV monochalcogenides and other centrosymmetric van der Waals layered materials.
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institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-1f26bc2eb4714184bfbefb2b86f808032025-08-20T02:19:57ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-011611810.1038/s41467-025-57138-5Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenidesFengrui Sui0Yilun Yu1Ju Chen2Ruijuan Qi3Rui Ge4Yufan Zheng5Beituo Liu6Rong Jin7Shijing Gong8Fangyu Yue9Junhao Chu10Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityEngineering Research Center of Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityEngineering Research Center of Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityAbstract Fundamentally, ferroelectrics must belong to a noncentrosymmetric space group, limiting the exploration of more new ferroelectric materials. We circumvent this limitation by triggering structure distortion and inducing ferroelectricity in centrosymmetric van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenide GeSe semiconductor that features unexpected intrinsic out-of-plane antiferroelectricity. Double-type and single-type hysteresis loops from electric measurements, bonding distortion observed in in-situ atomic imaging, and perpendicular polarization uncovered by first-principles calculations, confirm the intrinsic out-of-plane antiferroelectricity and the antiferroelectric–ferroelectric transition induced by the vertical external electric-field. The hidden out-of-plane antiferroelectricity and field induced ferroelectric polarization in spatial-inversion symmetric GeSe makes it a new member of van der Waals layered semiconductors with both in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectricity, and possibly, can be extended to all group-IV monochalcogenides and other centrosymmetric van der Waals layered materials.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57138-5
spellingShingle Fengrui Sui
Yilun Yu
Ju Chen
Ruijuan Qi
Rui Ge
Yufan Zheng
Beituo Liu
Rong Jin
Shijing Gong
Fangyu Yue
Junhao Chu
Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
Nature Communications
title Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
title_full Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
title_fullStr Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
title_full_unstemmed Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
title_short Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
title_sort unconventional anti ferroelectricity in van der waals group iv monochalcogenides
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57138-5
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