Renormalizing Antiferroelectric Nanostripes in β′-In₂Se₃ via Optomechanics

Abstract

Antiferroelectric (AFE) materials have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and good tunability. Recently, an exotic two-dimensional AFE material, a β′-In2Se3 monolayer that could host atomically thin AFE nanostripe domains, has been experimentally synthesized and theoretically examined. In this work, we apply first-principles calculations and theoretical estimations to predict that light irradiation can control the nanostripe width of such a system. We suggest that an intermediate near-infrared light (below the bandgap) could effectively harness the thermodynamic Gibbs free energy and thermodynamic stability, and the AFE nanostripe width will gradually decrease. We also propose to use linearly polarized light above the bandgap to generate an AFE nanostripe-specific photocurrent, providing an all-optical pump–probe setup for such AFE nanostripe width phase transitions.

Manipulation of nonlinear optical responses in layered ferroelectric niobium oxide dihalides

“…Therefore, although the AFE NbOCl 2 has a global centrosymmetric symmetry, the appearance of intralayer AFE nanostrips with local inversion-symmetry-breaking might generate an opposite flowing current while be zero macroscopically (stage III, Fig. 4f ) 52 . The global shift-current intensity of NbOCl 2 under pressure depends on the ratio of mixed local AFE phase in the system (stage II), from a maximum value (stage I) to zero (stage III).…”

Magnetic skyrmions and their manipulations in a 2D multiferroic CuCrP2Te6 monolayer

“…The energy barrier of the FE to AFE phase transition is 0.335 eV, significantly lower than those of doped-CrI 3 (0.65 eV) 56 and Sc 2 CO 2 (0.52 eV). 57 Moreover, several FE to AFE state transition strategies [58][59][60][61][62] have been proposed. For example, the FE to AFE transition of b 0 -In 2 Se 3 is achieved by changing the FE domain size, 62 which has the potential to characterize the transition geometric structure by magnetic detection, if the skyrmion pattern is sensitive to the domain size.…”

“…57 Moreover, several FE to AFE state transition strategies [58][59][60][61][62] have been proposed. For example, the FE to AFE transition of b 0 -In 2 Se 3 is achieved by changing the FE domain size, 62 which has the potential to characterize the transition geometric structure by magnetic detection, if the skyrmion pattern is sensitive to the domain size. Also, many TMTP materials, 63,64 such as CuInP 2 S 6 46,47 and CuInP 2 Se 6 , 45 have been experimentally observed, indicating the feasibility of the ferroelectrically controllable skyrmion behaviour.…”

Reversible Thermally Driven Phase Change of Layered In2Se3 for Integrated Photonics

“…Recently, two-dimensional (2D) In 2 Se 3 has attracted considerable attention because of the unique properties of its extraordinary ferroelectric, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric properties. − Intriguingly, In 2 Se 3 is polymorphic and possesses multiple crystalline phases, including α, α′, β, β′, γ, γ′, δ, and κ. − Moreover, the α phase possesses two different stacking sequences, i.e., hexagonal (2H) and rhombohedral (3R) structures, and the β phase possesses three different stacking sequences, i.e., trigonal (1T), 2H, and 3R structures. , These differences in stacking sequences, the bonding geometries of In/Se atoms, and the vacancy distribution geometries result in different electrical and optical characteristics. For example, α-In 2 Se 3 has a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure and both in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectricity. − On the contrary, an antiferroelectric order and ferroelasticity were observed in β′-In 2 Se 3 . − Indeed, amorphous In 2 Se 3 and a part of crystalline phases such as 2H/3R α, 2H/3R β′, and γ are stable for 2D In 2 Se 3 at room temperature, − which provides the possibility of multilevel nonvolatile switching. For instance, nonvolatile electronic phase-change memories based on a phase transition from an amorphous to crystalline phase and from a β to a γ phase were realized with the excitation of electric pulses. ,, …”