One-dimensional quantum materials can deliver record-high current densities

The advent of graphene resulted in a massive, world-wide, effort directed at investigation of other two-dimensional (2D) layered materials.

The one-dimensional (1D) bundled materials have received considerably less attention. Similar to the 2D layered materials with covalently bonded layers separated by the van der Waals gaps, the 1D materials consist of covalently bonded one-dimensional wires with van der Waals gaps between the wires.

The term van der Waals gap refers to the weak binding force, which allows for the separation of the atomic plane in 2D materials and atomic chains in 1D materials. Due to their lower dimensionality, the 1D van der Waals materials exhibit even more fascinating quantum properties than their 2D counterparts.

Example of 1D van der Waals materialsinclude transition metal trichalcogenides, which have strong covalent bonds in one direction and weaker bonds in cross-plane directions. They can be prepared as crystalline nanowires or nanoribbons consisting of 1D atomic threads, i.e. atomic chains.

A group of researchers led by Professor Alexander A. Balandin, University of California – Riverside discovered that quasi-1D ZrTe3 nanoribbons reveal an exceptionally high current density, on the order of ∼100 MA/cm2, at the peak of the stressing DC current. This level of the current density exceeds that in any conventional metals like copper by almost two orders of magnitude.