Van Der Waals Order–Disorder Type Ferroelectric VOCl <sub>2</sub> with Unusual Polarization Switching

Harnessing atomic ordering through order-disorder transition is a powerful strategy to tailor electric polarization and functionality. However, most reported order-disorder ferroelectrics exhibit low Curie temperatures, narrow thermal hysteresis, and limited tunability, restricting their potential in nonvolatile memory technologies. Here, we identify VOCl<sub>2</sub> as a new van der Waals order-disorder ferroelectric with site disorder, exhibiting an exceptionally wide thermal hysteresis (Δ<i>T</i> = 220 K) and a high Curie temperature (<i>T</i><sub>c</sub> = 440 K), associated with lattice expansion across the disorder to order transition. Moreover, the sensitivity of V<sup>4+</sup> cations to structure distortions allows efficient polarization tuning under hydrostatic pressure, where pressure irreversibly induces the in-plane polarization at 2.3 GPa, and then drives a reversible polarization switching from in-plane to out-of-plane at 8.0 GPa. Such a giant thermal hysteresis and unusual polarization switching of VOCl<sub>2</sub> open new opportunities for programmable phase-change devices with a broad operating window.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Published
2025-12-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c16197
Primary Topic
2D Materials and Applications
Type
article
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article

Van Der Waals Order–Disorder Type Ferroelectric VOCl 2 with Unusual Polarization Switching

Cheng‐Yan Xu, Hao Tian, Bo Song, Fuqiang Huang et al.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
2D Materials and Applications
article

Van Der Waals Order–Disorder Type Ferroelectric VOCl 2 with Unusual Polarization Switching

Cheng‐Yan Xu, Hao Tian, Bo Song, Fuqiang Huang, Xiangfu Xie, Xuzhou Sun, Gaoyang Gou, Wen Tao He, Yang Li, Yuqiang Fang, Niuzhuang Yang, Zhen-Jie Guan, Zijian Zhang, Yang Ding, Liang Zhen, Jierui Fu, Yue Liu, Dong Wang, Jiapeng Wang, Jinzhong Wang, Peng Tan, Ruize Lu, Xingyu Huang
article en

Abstract

Harnessing atomic ordering through order-disorder transition is a powerful strategy to tailor electric polarization and functionality. However, most reported order-disorder ferroelectrics exhibit low Curie temperatures, narrow thermal hysteresis, and limited tunability, restricting their potential in nonvolatile memory technologies. Here, we identify VOCl<sub>2</sub> as a new van der Waals order-disorder ferroelectric with site disorder, exhibiting an exceptionally wide thermal hysteresis (Δ<i>T</i> = 220 K) and a high Curie temperature (<i>T</i><sub>c</sub> = 440 K), associated with lattice expansion across the disorder to order transition. Moreover, the sensitivity of V<sup>4+</sup> cations to structure distortions allows efficient polarization tuning under hydrostatic pressure, where pressure irreversibly induces the in-plane polarization at 2.3 GPa, and then drives a reversible polarization switching from in-plane to out-of-plane at 8.0 GPa. Such a giant thermal hysteresis and unusual polarization switching of VOCl<sub>2</sub> open new opportunities for programmable phase-change devices with a broad operating window.

Journal of the American Chemical SocietyVol. 147(50)
North University of China (CN), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN), Harbin Institute of Technology (CN), Frontier Science Foundation (CH), Smart Material (Germany) (DE), National Space Science Center (CN), Human Computer Interaction (Switzerland) (CH), Division of Materials Science and Engineering (AU), State Nuclear Power Technology Company (China) (CN), Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (CN), Xi'an Jiaotong University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
2D Materials and Applications
DOISourceOpenAlex
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