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

Author

Listed:
  • Fengrui Sui

    (East China Normal University)

  • Yilun Yu

    (East China Normal University)

  • Ju Chen

    (East China Normal University)

  • Ruijuan Qi

    (East China Normal University)

  • Rui Ge

    (East China Normal University)

  • Yufan Zheng

    (East China Normal University)

  • Beituo Liu

    (East China Normal University)

  • Rong Jin

    (East China Normal University)

  • Shijing Gong

    (East China Normal University)

  • Fangyu Yue

    (East China Normal University)

  • Junhao Chu

    (East China Normal University)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Fengrui Sui & Yilun Yu & Ju Chen & Ruijuan Qi & Rui Ge & Yufan Zheng & Beituo Liu & Rong Jin & Shijing Gong & Fangyu Yue & Junhao Chu, 2025. "Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57138-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57138-5
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