Ferroelectricity going 2D

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in 2D ferroelectric materials, highlighting mechanisms, unique properties, and potential applications, while discussing challenges and future research directions in the field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms, properties, and applications of 2D ferroelectrics, emphasizing recent progress and future outlooks.

Findings

Identification of mechanisms driving ferroelectricity in 2D materials

Unique properties arising from reduced dimensionality

Potential applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics

Abstract

The discoveries of magnetism and ferroelectricity in 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials have brought important functionalities to the 2D materials family, and may trigger a revolution in next generation nanoelectronics and spintronics. In this perspective article, we briefly review the recent progress in the field of 2D ferroelectrics, focusing on the mechanisms that drive spontaneous polarizations in 2D systems, unique properties brought about by the reduced lattice dimensionality, and promising applications of 2D ferroelectrics. At the end, we provide an outlook for challenges that need to be addressed and our view on possible future research directions.