Stochastically Broken Inversion Symmetry of Van der Waals Topological Insulator for Nanoscale Physically Unclonable Functions
Owing to the exotic state of quantum matter, topological insulators have emerged as a significant platform for new-generation functional devices. Among these topological insulators, tetradymites have received significant attention because of their van der Waals (vdW) structures and inversion symmetries. Although this inversion symmetry completely blocks exotic quantum phenomena, it should be broken down to facilitate versatile topological functionalities. Recently, a Janus structure is suggested for asymmetric out-of-plane lattice structures, terminating the heterogeneous atoms at two sides of the vdW structure. However, the synthesis of Janus structures has not been achieved commercially because of the imprecise control of the layer-by-layer growth, high-temperature synthesis, and low yield. To overcome these limitations, plasma sulfurization of vdW topological insulators has been presented, enabling stochastic inversion asymmetry. To take practical advantage of the random lattice distortion, physically unclonable functions (PUFs) have been suggested as applications of vdW Janus topological insulators. The sulfur dominance is experimentally demonstrated via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, hysteresis variation, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and adhesion energy variation. In conclusion, it is envisioned that the vdW Janus topological insulators can provide an extendable encryption platform for randomized lattice distortion, offering on-demand stochastic inversion asymmetry via a single-step plasma sulfurization.
Authors
- Won‐Jun Jang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1436-4716)
- Gunhoo Woo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6701-5579)
- Jungwon Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4930-5628)
- Hyeong‐U Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0018-9603)
- Y. J. Kim
- Youngi Lee
- Hyunho Seok (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-5930)
- Sihoon Son (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9052-335X)
- Hong‐Sik Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5940-2253)
- Seowoo Son
- Lei Fang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2582-4845)
- Hyunbin Choi
- Seok Joon Kwon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1037-2743)
- Sujeong Han
- Jinill Cho
- Alexina Ollier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2671-7398)
- Seung-Hwan Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0892-2207)
- Taesung Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6280-7668)
- Minyoung Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7632-8024)
- Hyelim Shin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1075-1955)
- Andreas J. Heinrich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6204-471X)
- Gyuho Han
- Gunhyoung Kim
- Jinhyoung Lee
- Taewoo Kang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8317-6997)
- Goo‐Eun Jung
- Dong-Ho Lee
Institutions
- Ewha Womans University (KR)
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Institute for Basic Science (KR)
- Center for Quantum Nanoscience (KR)
- Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KR)
- Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
- Korea University of Science and Technology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2025-02-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202419927
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.74
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Sungkyunkwan University
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
- Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Institute for Basic Science
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
- Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology