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Van der Waals (vdW) assembly allows controlling symmetry of two-dimensional (2D) materials that determines their physical properties. Especially interesting is the recently demonstrated breaking inversion symmetry by polar layer stacking to realize novel electronic, magnetic, and transport properties of 2D vdW materials switchable by induced electric polarization. Here, based on symmetry analyses and density-functional calculations, we explore the emergence of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in antiferromagnetic MnBi2Te4 films assembled by polar layer stacking. We demonstrate that breaking PT symmetry in an MnBi2Te4 bilayer makes this 2D material magnetoelectric and produces a spontaneous AHE switchable by electric polarization. We find that reversable polarization at one of the interfaces in a three-layer MnBi2Te4 film drives a metal-insulator transition, as well as switching between an AHE and quantum AHE (QAHE). Finally, we predict that engineering an interlayer polarization in a three-layer MnBi2Te4 film allows converting MnBi2Te4 from a trivial insulator to a Chern insulator. Overall, our work emphasizes the emergence of quantum-transport phenomena in 2D vdW antiferromagnets by polar layer stacking, which do not exist in this material in the bulk or bulk-like thin-film forms.

Ferroelectric HfO2-based materials hold great potential for widespread integration of ferroelectricity into modern electronics due to their robust ferroelectric properties at the nanoscale and compatibility with the existing Si technology. Earlier work indicated that the nanometer crystal grain size was crucial for stabilization of the ferroelectric phase of hafnia. This constraint caused high density of unavoidable structural defects of the HfO2-based ferroelectrics, obscuring the intrinsic ferroelectricity inherited from the crystal space group of bulk HfO2. Here, we demonstrate the intrinsic ferroelectricity in Y-doped HfO2 films of high crystallinity. Contrary to the common expectation, we show that in the 5% Y-doped HfO2 epitaxial thin films, high crystallinity enhances the spontaneous polarization up to a record-high 50 µC/cm2 value at room temperature. The high spontaneous polarization persists at reduced temperature, with polarization values consistent with our theoretical predictions, indicating the dominant contribution from the intrinsic ferroelectricity. The crystal structure of these films reveals the Pca21 orthorhombic phase with a small rhombohedral distortion, underlining the role of the anisotropic stress and strain. These results open a pathway to controlling the intrinsic ferroelectricity in the HfO2-based materials and optimizing their performance in applications.

The recent observation of ferroelectricity in the metastable phases of binary metal oxides, such as HfO2, ZrO2, Hf0.5Zr0.5O2, and Ga2O3, has garnered a lot of attention. These metastable ferroelectric phases are typically stabilized through epitaxial growth, alloying, or defect engineering. Here, we propose hole doping plays a key role in stabilizing the polar phases in binary metal oxides. Using first-principles density-functional-theory calculations, we show that holes in these oxides mainly occupy one of the two oxygen sublattices. This hole localization, which is more pronounced in the polar phase than in the nonpolar phase, lowers the electrostatic energy of the system, and makes the polar phase more stable at sufficiently large concentrations. We demonstrate that this electrostatic mechanism is responsible for stabilization of the ferroelectric phase of HfO2 aliovalently doped with elements that introduce holes to the system, such as La and N. Finally, we show that the spontaneous polarization in HfO2 is robust to hole doping, and a large polarization persists even under a high concentration of holes.

Magnetic skyrmions are chiral nanoscale spin textures which are usually induced by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Recently, magnetic skyrmions have been observed in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic materials, such as Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$. The electric control of skyrmions is important for their potential application in low-power memory technologies. Here, we predict that DMI and magnetic skyrmions in a Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$ monolayer can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization of an adjacent 2D vdW ferroelectric In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$. Based on density functional theory and atomistic spin-dynamics modeling, we find that the interfacial symmetry breaking produces a sizable DMI in a Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$/In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ vdW heterostructure. We show that the magnitude of DMI can be controlled by ferroe-lectric polarization reversal, leading to creation and annihilation of skyrmions. Furthermore, we find that the sign of DMI in a In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$/Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$/In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ heterostructure changes with ferroelectric switching reversing the skyrmion chirality. The predicted electrically controlled skyrmion formation may be interesting for spintronic applications.

Ferromagnets are known to support spin-polarized currents that control various spin-dependent transport phenomena useful for spintronics. On the contrary, fully compensated antiferromagnets are expected to support only globally spin-neutral currents. Here, we demonstrate that these globally spin-neutral currents can represent the N\'eel spin currents, i.e. staggered spin currents flowing through different magnetic sublattices. The N\'eel spin currents emerge in antiferromagnets with strong intra-sublattice coupling (hopping) and drive the spin-dependent transport phenomena such as tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and spin-transfer torque (STT) in antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions (AFMTJs). Using RuO$_{2}$ and Fe$_{4}$GeTe$_{2}$ as representative antiferromagnets, we predict that the N\'eel spin currents with a strong staggered spin-polarization produce a sizable field-like STT capable of the deterministic switching of the N\'eel vector in the associated AFMTJs. Our work uncovers the previously unexplored potential of fully compensated antiferromagnets and paves a new route to realize the efficient writing and reading of information for antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is a fundamental spin-dependent transport property that is widely used in spintronics. It is generally expected that currents carrying net spin polarization are required to drive the AHE. Here we demonstrate that, in contrast to this common expectation, a spin-neutral tunneling AHE (TAHE), i.e. a TAHE driven by spin-neutral currents, can be realized in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) tunnel junction where an AFM electrode with a non-spin-degenerate Fermi surface and a normal metal electrode are separated by a non-magnetic barrier with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The symmetry mismatch between the AFM electrode and the SOC barrier results in an asymmetric spin-dependent momentum filtering of the spin-neutral longitudinal current generating the transverse Hall current in each electrode. We predict a sizable spin-neutral TAHE in an AFM tunnel junction with a RuO$_{2}$-type AFM electrode and a SnTe-type SOC barrier and show that the Hall currents are reversible by the N\'eel vector switching. With the Hall angle being comparable to that in conventional AHE bulk materials, the predicted spin-neutral TAHE can be used for the N\'eel vector detection in antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Resonant tunneling is a quantum-mechanical effect in which electron transport is controlled by the discrete energy levels within a quantum-well (QW) structure. A ferroelectric resonant tunneling diode (RTD) exploits the switchable electric polarization state of the QW barrier to tune the device resistance. Here, the discovery of robust room-temperature ferroelectric-modulated resonant tunneling and negative differential resistance (NDR) behaviors in all-perovskite-oxide BaTiO

The discovery of ferroelectricity in polycrystalline thin films of doped HfO2 has reignited the expectations of developing competitive ferroelectric non-volatile memory devices. To date, it is widely accepted that the performance of HfO2-based ferroelectric devices during their life cycle is critically dependent on the presence of point defects as well as structural phase polymorphism, which mainly originates from defects either. The purpose of this review article is to overview the impact of defects in ferroelectric HfO2 on its functional properties and the resulting performance of memory devices. Starting from the brief summary of defects in classical perovskite ferroelectrics, we then introduce the known types of point defects in dielectric HfO2 thin films. Further, we discuss main analytical techniques used to characterize the concentration and distribution of defects in doped ferroelectric HfO2 thin films as well as at their interfaces with electrodes. The main part of the review is devoted to the recent experimental studies reporting the impact of defects in ferroelectric HfO2 structures on the performance of different memory devices. We end up with the summary and perspectives of HfO2-based ferroelectric competitive non-volatile memory devices.

The interconversion of charge and spin currents via spin-Hall effect is essential for spintronics. Energy-efficient and deterministic switching of magnetization can be achieved when spin polarizations of these spin currents are collinear with the magnetization. However, symmetry conditions generally restrict spin polarizations to be orthogonal to both the charge and spin flows. Spin polarizations can deviate from such direction in nonmagnetic materials only when the crystalline symmetry is reduced. Here, we show control of the spin polarization direction by using a non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3GaN, in which the triangular spin structure creates a low magnetic symmetry while maintaining a high crystalline symmetry. We demonstrate that epitaxial Mn3GaN/permalloy heterostructures can generate unconventional spin-orbit torques at room temperature corresponding to out-of-plane and Dresselhaus-like spin polarizations which are forbidden in any sample with two-fold rotational symmetry. Our results demonstrate an approach based on spin-structure design for controlling spin-orbit torque, enabling high-efficient antiferromagnetic spintronics., In the typical spin-hall effect, spin-current, charge current, and spin polarisation are all mutually perpendicular, a feature enforced by symmetry. Here, using an anti-ferromagnet with a triangular spin structure, the authors demonstrate a spin-hall effect without a perpendicular spin alignment.

BaTiS3 is a semiconductor with a small bandgap of ∼0.5 eV and strong transport anisotropy caused primarily by structural anisotropy; it contains well-separated octahedral columns along the [0001] d...

Complex oxide heterointerfaces and van der Waals heterostructures present two versatile but intrinsically different platforms for exploring emergent quantum phenomena and designing new functionalities. The rich opportunity offered by the synergy between these two classes of materials, however, is yet to be charted. Here, we report an unconventional nonlinear optical filtering effect resulting from the interfacial polar alignment between monolayer MoS$_2$ and a neighboring ferroelectric oxide thin film. The second harmonic generation response at the heterointerface is either substantially enhanced or almost entirely quenched by an underlying ferroelectric domain wall depending on its chirality, and can be further tailored by the polar domains. Unlike the extensively studied coupling mechanisms driven by charge, spin, and lattice, the interfacial tailoring effect is solely mediated by the polar symmetry, as well explained via our density functional theory calculations, pointing to a new material strategy for the functional design of nanoscale reconfigurable optical applications., 22 pages, 4 figures

Antiferromagnetic (AFM) spintronics has emerged as a subfield of spintronics driven by the advantages of antiferromagnets producing no stray fields and exhibiting ultrafast magnetization dynamics. The efficient method to detect an AFM order parameter, known as the N\'eel vector, by electric means is critical to realize concepts of AFM spintronics. Here, we demonstrate that non-collinear AFM metals, such as Mn3Sn, exhibit a momentum dependent spin polarization which can be exploited in AFM tunnel junctions to detect the N\'eel vector. Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we predict a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect as high as 300% in AFM tunnel junctions with Mn3Sn electrodes, where the junction resistance depends on the relative orientation of their N\'eel vectors and exhibits four non-volatile resistance states. We argue that the spin-split band structure and the related TMR effect can also be realized in other non-collinear AFM metals like Mn3Ge, Mn3Ga, Mn3Pt, and Mn3GaN. Our work provides a robust method for detecting the N\'eel vector in non-collinear antiferromagnets via the TMR effect, which may be useful for their application in AFM spintronic devices.

The low in-plane symmetry in layered 1T'-${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ results in strong band anisotropy, while its manifestation in the electronic properties is challenging to resolve due to the lack of effective approaches for controlling the local current path. In this work, we reveal the giant transport anisotropy in monolayer to four-layer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ by creating directional conducting paths via nanoscale ferroelectric control. By reversing the polarization of a ferroelectric polymer top layer, we induce a conductivity switching ratio of $g1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$ in the ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ channel at 300 K. Characterizing the domain-defined conducting nanowires in an insulating background shows that the conductivity ratio between the directions along and perpendicular to the Re chain can exceed $5.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{4}$ in monolayer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$. Theoretical modeling points to the band origin of the transport anomaly and further reveals the emergence of a flat band in few-layer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$. Our work paves the path for implementing highly anisotropic 2D materials for designing novel collective phenomena and electron lensing applications.

Composite multiferroics containing ferroelectric and ferromagnetic components often have much larger magnetoelectric coupling compared to their single-phase counterparts. Doped or alloyed HfO

Ferroelectric HfO

Studies of the current-induced spin polarization (CISP) have been recently reinvigorated due to the discoveries of CISP in some burgeoning materials such as oxide interfaces, van der Waals, and topological quantum materials. Here, we investigate the CISP in two-dimensional systems for different types of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) using the Boltzmann transport theory. We find an anisotropic response of CISP to the current direction which strongly depends on the type of SOC. We demonstrate that the CISP is nonlinear with respect to the SOC magnitude, depends on the Fermi energy, and exhibits two different transport regimes for low or high carrier density. Finally, we propose a magnetoresistance device which can exploit the predicted CISP anisotropy.

The discovery of ferroelectricity in polycrystalline thin films of doped HfO2 has reignited the expectations of developing competitive ferroelectric non-volatile memory devices. To date, it is widely accepted that the performance of HfO2-based ferroelectric devices during their life cycle is critically dependent on the presence of point defects as well as structural phase polymorphism, which mainly originates from defects either. The purpose of this review article is to overview the impact of defects in ferroelectric HfO2 on its functional properties and the resulting performance of memory devices. Starting from the brief summary of defects in classical perovskite ferroelectrics, we then introduce the known types of point defects in dielectric HfO2 thin films. Further, we discuss main analytical techniques used to characterize the concentration and distribution of defects in doped ferroelectric HfO2 thin films as well as at their interfaces with electrodes. The main part of the review is devoted to the recent experimental studies reporting the impact of defects in ferroelectric HfO2 structures on the performance of different memory devices. We end up with the summary and perspectives of HfO2-based ferroelectric competitive non-volatile memory devices.

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC), the interaction between the electron spin and the orbital angular momentum, can unlock rich phenomena at interfaces, in particular interconverting spin and charge currents. Conventional heavy metals have been extensively explored due to their strong SOC of conduction electrons. However, spin-orbit effects in classes of materials such as epitaxial 5d-electron transition metal complex oxides, which also host strong SOC, remain largely unreported. In addition to strong SOC, these complex oxides can also provide the additional tuning knob of epitaxy to control the electronic structure and the engineering of spin-to-charge conversion by crystalline symmetry. Here, we demonstrate room-temperature generation of spin-orbit torque on a ferromagnet with extremely high efficiency via the spin-Hall effect in epitaxial metastable perovskite SrIrO3. We first predict a large intrinsic spin-Hall conductivity in orthorhombic bulk SrIrO3 arising from the Berry curvature in the electronic band structure. By manipulating the intricate interplay between SOC and crystalline symmetry, we control the spin-Hall torque ratio by engineering the tilt of the corner-sharing oxygen octahedra in perovskite SrIrO3 through epitaxial strain. This allows the presence of an anisotropic spin-Hall effect due to a characteristic structural anisotropy in SrIrO3 with orthorhombic symmetry. Our experimental findings demonstrate the heteroepitaxial symmetry design approach to engineer spin-orbit effects. We therefore anticipate that these epitaxial 5d transition-metal oxide thin films can be an ideal building block for low-power spintronics.

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, stacking different two-dimensional materials, have opened up unprecedented opportunities to explore new physics and device concepts. Especially interesting are recently discovered two-dimensional magnetic vdW materials, providing new paradigms for spintronic applications. Here, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigate the spin-dependent electronic transport across vdW magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) composed of Fe3GeTe2 ferromagnetic electrodes and a graphene or hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) spacer layer. For both types of junctions, we find that the junction resistance changes by thousands of percent when the magnetization of the electrodes is switched from parallel to antiparallel. Such a giant tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect is driven by dissimilar electronic structure of the two spin-conducting channels in Fe3GeTe2, resulting in a mismatch between the incoming and outgoing Bloch states in the electrodes and thus suppressed transmission for an antiparallel-aligned MTJ. The vdW bounding between electrodes and a spacer layer makes this result virtually independent of the type of the spacer layer, making the predicted giant TMR effect robust with respect to strain, lattice mismatch, interface distance and other parameters which may vary in the experiment. We hope that our results will further stimulate experimental studies of vdW MTJs and pave the way for their applications in spintronics.

The recently discovered magnetism of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals crystals have attracted a lot of attention. Among these materials is CrI$_3$ - a magnetic semiconductor exhibiting transitions between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orderings under the influence of an applied magnetic field. Here, using first-principles methods based on density functional theory, we explore spin-dependent transport in tunnel junctions formed of fcc Cu (111) electrodes and a CrI$_3$ tunnel barrier. We find about 100% spin polarization of the tunneling current for a ferromagnetically-ordered four-monolayer CrI$_3$ and tunneling magnetoresistance of about 3,000% associated with a change of magnetic ordering in CrI$_3$. This behavior is understood in terms of the spin and wave-vector dependent evanescent states in CrI$_3$ which control the tunneling conductance. We find a sizable charge transfer from Cu to CrI$_3$ which adds new features to the mechanism of spin-filtering in CrI$_3$-based tunnel junctions. Our results elucidate the mechanisms of spin filtering in CrI3 tunnel junctions and provide important insights for the design of magnetoresistive devices based on 2D magnetic crystals.

Flexoelectricity is a universal electromechanical coupling effect whereby all dielectric materials polarize in response to strain gradients. In particular, nanoscale flexoelectricity promises exotic phenomena and functions, but reliable characterization methods are required to unlock its potential. Here, we report anomalous mechanical control of quantum tunnelling that allows for characterizing nanoscale flexoelectricity. By applying strain gradients with an atomic force microscope tip, we systematically polarize an ultrathin film of otherwise nonpolar SrTiO$_{3}$, and simultaneously measure tunnel current across it. The measured tunnel current exhibits critical behaviour as a function of strain gradients, which manifests large modification of tunnel barrier profiles via flexoelectricity. Further analysis of this critical behaviour reveals significantly enhanced flexocoupling strength in ultrathin SrTiO$_{3}$, compared to that in bulk, rendering flexoelectricity more potent at the nanoscale. Our study not only suggests possible applications exploiting dynamic mechanical control of quantum effect, but also paves the way to characterize nanoscale flexoelectricity., Main and Supplementary combined, 40 pages

The emergence of ferroelectricity in nanometer-thick films of doped hafnium oxide (HfO2) makes this material a promising candidate for use in Si-compatible non-volatile memory devices. The switchable polarization of ferroelectric HfO2 controls functional properties of these devices through the electric potential distribution across the capacitor. The experimental characterization of the local electric potential at the nanoscale has not so far been realized in practice. Here, we develop a new methodology which allows us, for the first time, to experimentally quantify the polarization-dependent potential profile across few-nanometer-thick ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin films. Using a standing-wave excitation mode in synchrotron based hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, we depth-selectively probe TiN/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/W prototype memory capacitors and determine the local electrostatic potential by analyzing the core-level line shifts. We find that the electric potential profile across the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 layer is non-linear and changes with in situ polarization switching. Combined with our scanning transmission electron microscopy data and theoretical modeling, we interpret the observed non-linear potential behavior in terms of defects in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2, at both interfaces, and their charge state modulated by the ferroelectric polarization. Our results provide an important insight into the intrinsic electronic properties of HfO2 based ferroelectric capacitors and are essential for engineering memory devices.

Current induced spin-orbit torques driven by the conventional spin Hall effect are widely used to manipulate the magnetization. This approach, however, is nondeterministic and inefficient for the switching of magnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy that are demanded by the high-density magnetic storage and memory devices. Here, we demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome by exploiting a magnetic spin Hall effect in noncollinear antiferromagnets, such as Mn3Sn. The magnetic group symmetry of Mn3Sn allows generation of the out-of-plane spin current carrying spin polarization collinear to its direction induced by an in-plane charge current. This spin current drives an out-of-plane anti-damping torque providing the deterministic switching of the perpendicular magnetization of an adjacent Ni/Co multilayer. Due to being odd with respect to time reversal symmetry, the observed magnetic spin Hall effect and the resulting spin-orbit torque can be reversed with reversal of the antiferromagnetic order. Contrary to the conventional spin-orbit torque devices, the demonstrated magnetization switching does not need an external magnetic field and requires much lower current density which is useful for low-power spintronics.

Spin-orbit torque (SOT), which arises from the spin-orbit coupling of conduction electrons, is believed to be the key route for developing low-power, high-speed, and nonvolatile memory devices. Despite the theoretical prediction of pronounced Berry phase curvatures in certain transition-metal perovskite oxides, which lead to considerable intrinsic spin Hall conductivity, SOT from this class of materials has rarely been reported until recently. Here, the SOT generated by epitaxial SrRuO

Interface-engineered electron or hole tunneling controls tunneling electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions., Although the phenomenon of tunneling has been known since the advent of quantum mechanics, it continues to enrich our understanding of many fields of science. Commonly, this effect is described in terms of electrons traversing the potential barrier that exceeds their kinetic energy due to the wave nature of electrons. This picture of electron tunneling fails, however, for tunnel junctions, where the Fermi energy lies sufficiently close to the insulator valence band, in which case, hole tunneling dominates. We demonstrate the deterministic control of electron and hole tunneling in interface-engineered Pt/BaTiO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 ferroelectric tunnel junctions by reversal of tunneling electroresistance. Our electrical measurements, electron microscopy and spectroscopy characterization, and theoretical modeling unambiguously point out to electron or hole tunneling regimes depending on interface termination. The interface control of the tunneling regime offers designed functionalities of electronic devices.

Spin-polarized currents play a key role in spintronics. Recently, it has been found that antiferromagnets with a non-spin-degenerate band structure can efficiently spin-polarize electric currents, even though their net magnetization is zero. Among the antiferromagnetic metals with magnetic space group symmetry supporting this functionality, the noncollinear antiferromagnetic antiperovskites ANMn$_3$ (A = Ga, Ni, Sn, and Pt) are especially promising. This is due to their high N\'eel temperatures and a good lattice match to perovskite oxide substrates, offering possibilities of high structural quality heterostructures based on these materials. Here, we investigate the spin polarization of antiferromagnetic ANMn$_3$ metals using first-principles density functional theory calculations. We find that the spin polarization of the longitudinal currents in these materials is comparable to that in widely used ferromagnetic metals, and thus can be exploited in magnetic tunnel junctions and spin transfer torque devices. Moreover, for certain film growth directions, the out-of-plane transverse spin currents with a giant charge-to-spin conversion efficiency can be achieved, implying that the ANMn$_3$ antiperovskites can be used as efficient spin sources. These properties make ANMn$_3$ compounds promising for application in spintronics.

The control of the in-plane domain evolution in ferroelectric thin films is not only critical to understanding ferroelectric phenomena but also to enabling functional device fabrication. However, in-plane polarized ferroelectric thin films typically exhibit complicated multi-domain states, not desirable for optoelectronic device performance. Here we report a strategy combining interfacial symmetry engineering and anisotropic strain to design single-domain, in-plane polarized ferroelectric BaTiO3 thin films. Theoretical calculations predict the key role of the BaTiO3/PrScO3 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${({{{{{\boldsymbol{110}}}}}})}_{{{{{{\bf{O}}}}}}}$$\end{document}(110)O substrate interfacial environment, where anisotropic strain, monoclinic distortions, and interfacial electrostatic potential stabilize a single-variant spontaneous polarization. A combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy, piezoresponse force microscopy, ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurements, and second harmonic generation measurements directly reveals the stabilization of the in-plane quasi-single-domain polarization state. This work offers design principles for engineering in-plane domains of ferroelectric oxide thin films, which is a prerequisite for high performance optoelectronic devices., In-plane polarized ferroelectric thin films typically exhibit complicated multidomain states, not desirable for optoelectronic device performance. Here, the authors combine interfacial symmetry engineering and anisotropic strain to design single-domain in-plane polarized ferroelectric BaTiO3 films.

We propose energy band engineering to enhance tunneling electroresistance (TER) in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs). We predict that an ultrathin dielectric layer with a smaller band gap, embedded into a ferroelectric barrier layer, acts as a switch controlling high- and low-conductance states of an FTJ depending on polarization orientation. Using first-principles modeling based on density functional theory, we investigate this phenomenon for a prototypical $\mathrm{SrRu}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}\text{/}\mathrm{BaTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}\text{/}\mathrm{SrRu}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ FTJ with a $\mathrm{BaSn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ monolayer embedded in the $\mathrm{BaTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ barrier. We show that in such a composite-barrier FTJ, ferroelectric polarization of $\mathrm{BaTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ shifts the conduction-band minimum of the $\mathrm{BaSn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ monolayer above or below the Fermi energy depending on polarization orientation. The resulting switching between direct and resonant tunneling leads to a TER effect with a giant ON/OFF conductance ratio. The proposed resonant band engineering of FTJs can serve as a viable tool to enhance their performance, useful for device applications.

The low in-plane symmetry in layered 1T'-ReS_{2} results in strong band anisotropy, while its manifestation in the electronic properties is challenging to resolve due to the lack of effective approaches for controlling the local current path. In this work, we reveal the giant transport anisotropy in monolayer to four-layer ReS_{2} by creating directional conducting paths via nanoscale ferroelectric control. By reversing the polarization of a ferroelectric polymer top layer, we induce a conductivity switching ratio of1.5×10^{8} in the ReS_{2} channel at 300 K. Characterizing the domain-defined conducting nanowires in an insulating background shows that the conductivity ratio between the directions along and perpendicular to the Re chain can exceed 5.5×10^{4} in monolayer ReS_{2}. Theoretical modeling points to the band origin of the transport anomaly and further reveals the emergence of a flat band in few-layer ReS_{2}. Our work paves the path for implementing highly anisotropic 2D materials for designing novel collective phenomena and electron lensing applications.