paper

Quadratic piezoelectricity from stacking-engineered interference in multilayer sliding ferroelectrics

arXiv:2607.29214

Abstract

Designing nonlinear piezoelectricity requires suppressing the linear piezoelectric coefficient without extinguishing higher-order electromechanical response, yet a general and reconfigurable route remains lacking. Here we introduce stacking-engineered piezoelectric interference as such a mechanism in multilayer sliding ferroelectrics. Combining first-principles calculations with a generalized Ginzburg--Landau framework, we show that each interlayer gap acts as a local piezoelectric channel whose sign and magnitude are determined by stacking. Constructive interference between same-signed channels produces a linear-dominated response, whereas destructive interference between oppositely signed channels suppresses the linear coefficient while preserving a finite quadratic response. Representative MoS $_{2}$ and NiTe $_{2}$ multilayers approach the parabolic limit, with BAAC-stacked MoS $_{2}$ reducing the linear-to-quadratic crossover strain by a factor of 25 relative to CBA-stacked MoS $_{2}$ . Experimentally accessible tetralayer MoS $_{2}$ sliding pathways further connect linear-dominated, quadratic-dominated and sign-inverted states. Here, we identify stacking-engineered interference as a design principle for programmable nonlinear electromechanics in layered materials.

9 pages, 4 figures; 16-page Supplementary Information included as an ancillary file