Two-dimensional ferroelectricity in a single-element bismuth monolayer.

ABSTRACT: Ferroelectric materials are fascinating for their non-volatile switchable electric polarizations induced by the spontaneous inversion-symmetry breaking. However, in all of the conventional ferroelectric compounds, at least two constituent ions are required to support the polarization switching^1,2. Here, we report the observation of a single-element ferroelectric state in a black phosphorus-like bismuth layer³, in which the ordered charge transfer and the regular atom distortion between sublattices happen simultaneously. Instead of a homogenous orbital configuration that ordinarily occurs in elementary substances, we found the Bi atoms in a black phosphorous-like Bi monolayer maintain a weak and anisotropic sp orbital hybridization, giving rise to the inversion-symmetr

SUBMITTER: Gou J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10156600 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature