Tellurium nanowires present potential for room-temperature ferroelectricity and information storage

A discovery by a global crew of scientists has revealed room-temperature ferroelectric and resistive switching behaviors in single-element tellurium (Te) nanowires, paving the way in which for developments in ultrahigh-density information storage and neuromorphic computing.

Revealed in Nature Communications, this analysis marks the first experimental proof of ferroelectricity in Te nanowires, a single-element materials, which was beforehand predicted solely in theoretical fashions.

“Ferroelectric supplies are substances that may retailer electrical cost and hold it even when the facility is turned off, and their cost could be switched by making use of an exterior electrical area—a attribute important for non-volatile reminiscence functions,” factors out co-corresponding writer of the paper Professor Yong P. Chen, a principal investigator at Tohoku College’s Superior Institute for Supplies Analysis (AIMR) and a professor at Purdue and Aarhus Universities.

Whereas ferroelectricity is frequent in compounds, single-element supplies like Te not often exhibit this habits attributable to their symmetric atomic constructions.

Nevertheless, Chen and his colleagues demonstrated that Te nanowires exhibit strong ferroelectric properties at room temperature, due to the distinctive atomic displacement inside their one-dimensional chain construction. The invention was made utilizing piezoresponse pressure microscopy (PFM) and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Constructing on this discovery, the crew developed a novel machine—a self-gated ferroelectric field-effect transistor (SF-FET)—which integrates each ferroelectric and semiconducting properties in a single machine. The SF-FET demonstrates distinctive information retention, quick switching speeds of lower than 20 nanoseconds, and a powerful storage density exceeding 1.9 terabytes per sq. centimeter.

“Our breakthrough opens up new alternatives for next-generation reminiscence units, the place Te nanowires’ excessive mobility and distinctive digital properties might assist simplify machine architectures,” says Yaping Qi, an assistant professor at AIMR and co-first writer of the examine.

“Our SF-FET machine might additionally play an important function in future synthetic intelligence techniques, enabling neuromorphic computing that mimics human mind operate. Moreover, the findings might help result in decrease energy consumption in digital units, addressing the necessity for sustainable expertise.”

At the moment, the crew at AIMR, which contains Qi and Chen, is exploring new 2D, ferroelectric supplies utilizing synthetic intelligence (AI) methods, in collaboration with Professor Hao Li’s group. This might result in the invention of extra supplies with promising ferroelectric properties or additional functions past reminiscence storage, comparable to neuromorphic computing.