Evidence of the ferroelectric polarization in charge transport through WTe${}_2$ Weyl semimetal surface

Abstract

We investigate electron transport along the surface of WTe${}_2$ three-dimensional single crystals, which are characterized by coexistence of Weyl semimetal conductivity and ferroelectricity at room temperature. We find that non-linear behavior of $dV/dI(I)$ WTe${}_2$ differential resistance is accompanied by slow relaxation process, which appears as the $dV/dI(I)$ dependence on the sign of the current change. This observation is confirmed by direct investigation of time-dependent relaxation curves. While strongly non-linear differential resistance should be expected for the zero-gap WTe${}_2$, the slow relaxation in transport is very unusual for well-conducting semimetals at room temperature. We establish, that non-monotonous dependence of the amplitude of the effect on driving current $\Delta dV/dI(I)$ well corresponds to the known Sawyer-Tower's ferroelectric hysteresis loop. This conclusion is also confirmed by gate voltage dependencies, so our results can be understood as a direct demonstration of WTe${}_2$ ferroelectric polarization in charge transport experiment.

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• Gate-dependent non-linear Hall effect at room temperature in topological semimetal GeTe
• Switching ferroelectricity in SnSe across diffusionless martensitic phase transition
• Dynamic negative capacitance regime in GeTe Rashba ferroelectric
• Thermoelectric response as a tool to observe electrocaloric effect in a thin conducting ferroelectric SnSe flake
• Spin-valve effect for spin-polarized surface states in topological semimetals
• Surface spin polarization in the magnetic response of GeTe Rashba ferroelectric
• Current-induced control of the polarization state in a polar metal based heterostructure SnSe/WTe${}_2$