Observation of Unconventional Ferroelectricity in Non-Moir'\e Graphene on Hexagonal Boron Nitride Boundaries and Interfaces

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that unconventional ferroelectricity can be engineered in graphene-hBN heterostructures through specific boundary and interface defects, independent of layer alignment.

Contribution

It introduces a defect engineering approach to induce ferroelectricity in graphene-hBN systems without requiring precise layer alignment.

Findings

Unconventional ferroelectricity occurs at hBN edges or interfaces with line defects.

Gate dependence analysis reveals key localized states responsible for ferroelectricity.

Defect engineering enables ferroelectric behavior in vdW heterostructures without layer alignment.

Abstract

Interfacial interactions in two parallel-stacked hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN) layers facilitate sliding ferroelectricity, enabling novel device functionalities. Additionally, when Bernal or twisted bilayer graphene is aligned with an hBN layer, unconventional ferroelectric behavior was observed, though its precise origin remains unclear. Here, we propose an alternative approach to engineering such an unconventional ferroelectricity in graphene-hBN van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures by creating specific types of hBN boundaries and interfaces. We found that the unconventional ferroelectricity can occur--without the alignments at graphene-hBN or hBN-hBN interfaces--when there are hBN edges or interfaces with line defects. By systematically analyzing the gate dependence of mobile and localized charges, we identified key characteristics of localized states that underlie the observed unconventional ferroelectricity, informing future studies. These findings highlight the complexity of the interfacial interactions in graphene/hBN systems, and demonstrate the potential for defect engineering in vdW heterostructures.