Two-Dimensional Antiferroelectricity in Nanostripe-Ordered In2Se3

Chao Xu, Yancong Chen, Xiangbin Cai, Arno Meingast, Xuyun Guo, Fakun Wang, Ziyuan Lin, Tsz Wing Lo, Christian Maunders, Sorin Lazar, Ning Wang, Dangyuan Lei, Yang Chai, Tianyou Zhai, Xin Luo, Ye Zhu

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

67 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been an exciting frontier for exploring emerging physics at reduced dimensionality, with a variety of exotic properties demonstrated at 2D limit. Here, we report the first experimental discovery of in-plane antiferroelectricity in a 2D material β′-In2Se3, using optical and electron microscopy consolidated by first-principles calculations. Different from conventional 3D antiferroelectricity, antiferroelectricity in β′-In2Se3 is confined within the 2D layer and generates the unusual nanostripe ordering: the individual nanostripes exhibit local ferroelectric polarization, whereas the neighboring nanostripes are antipolar with zero net polarization. Such a unique superstructure is underpinned by the intriguing competition between 2D ferroelectric and antiferroelectric ordering in β′-In2Se3, which can be preserved down to single-layer thickness as predicted by calculation. Besides demonstrating 2D antiferroelectricity, our finding further resolves the true nature of the β′-In2Se3 superstructure that has been under debate for over four decades.

Original languageEnglish
Article number047601
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume125
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Jul 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Two-Dimensional Antiferroelectricity in Nanostripe-Ordered In2Se3'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this