Nonvolatile ferroelectric control of topological states in 2D heterostructures

Abstract

Quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator materials feature topologically protected edge states that can drastically reduce dissipation and are useful for the next-generation electronics. However, the nonvolatile control of topological edge state is still a challenge. In this paper, based on first-principles calculations, the switchable topological states are found in the van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures consisting of two dimensional (2D) Bi(111) bilayer (BL) and α-In2Se3 by reversing the electric polarization of the ferroelectric α-In2Se3. The topological switching results from the different charge transfer associated with the two opposite polarization states of α-In2Se3. This new topological switching mechanism has the unique advantages of being fully electrical as well as nonvolatile. Our finding provides an unprecedented approach to realize ferroelectric control of topological states in 2D materials, which will have great potential for applications in topological nanoscale electronics.

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Cited by in corpus (9)

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• Ferroelectricity-tuned band topology and superconductivity in two-dimensional materials and related heterostructures
• Ferroelectric higher-order topological insulator in two dimensions
• Twist-resilient and robust ferroelectric quantum spin Hall insulators driven by van der Waals interactions
• Ferroelectricity controlled chiral spin textures and anomalous valley Hall effect in the Janus magnet-based multiferroic heterostructure
• Ferroelectric tuning of superconductivity and band topology in a two-dimensional heterobilayer
• Ferroelectrically tunable topological phase transition in In${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films
• Non-volatile Electric Control of Magnetic and Topological Properties of MnBi2Te4 Thin Films
• Doping induced multiferroicity and quantum anomalous Hall effect in $\alpha$-In${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films