Two-dimensional ferroelectric tunnel junction: the case of monolayer In:SnSe/SnSe/Sb:SnSe homostructure

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a giant tunneling electroresistance effect in a monolayer two-dimensional ferroelectric tunnel junction using doping engineering, paving the way for ultra-thin, high-performance non-volatile memory devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel doping engineering strategy for 2D ferroelectric tunnel junctions with monolayer thickness, achieving a giant TER effect through combined theoretical methods.

Findings

Giant TER effect of 1460% observed in the monolayer junction.

Dynamical modulation of barrier width and height causes the large TER.

Doping engineering enables ultrathin ferroelectric tunnel junctions.

Abstract

Ferroelectric tunnel junctions, in which ferroelectric polarization and quantum tunneling are closely coupled to induce the tunneling electroresistance (TER) effect, have attracted considerable interest due to their potential in non-volatile and low-power consumption memory devices. The ferroelectric size effect, however, has hindered ferroelectric tunnel junctions from exhibiting robust TER effect. Here, our study proposes doping engineering in a two-dimensional in-plane ferroelectric semiconductor as an effective strategy to design a two-dimensional ferroelectric tunnel junction composed of homostructural $p$-type semiconductor/ferroelectric/$n$-type semiconductor. Since the in-plane polarization persists in the monolayer ferroelectric barrier, the vertical thickness of two-dimensional ferroelectric tunnel junction can be as thin as monolayer. We show that the monolayer In:SnSe/SnSe/Sb:SnSe junction provides an embodiment of this strategy. Combining density functional theory calculations with non-equilibrium Green's function formalism, we investigate the electron transport properties of In:SnSe/SnSe/Sb:SnSe and reveal a giant TER effect of 1460$\%$. The dynamical modulation of both barrier width and barrier height during the ferroelectric switching are responsible for this giant TER effect. These findings provide an important insight towards the understanding of the quantum behaviors of electrons in materials at the two-dimensional limit, and enable new possibilities for next-generation non-volatile memory devices based on flexible two-dimensional lateral ferroelectric tunnel junctions.