Ferroelectric materials possess a unique property: they have positive and negative charges that are polarized, similar to the north and south poles of a magnet. What sets them apart is their ability to reverse this polarization when external electricity is applied. Once reversed, these materials retain their state until more power is introduced, making them invaluable for data storage and wireless communication technologies.
Now, researchers at Penn State have found a way to transform non-ferroelectric materials into ferroelectric ones by simply stacking them with ferroelectric materials. This process, known as proximity ferroelectricity, eliminates the need for chemical modifications.
This breakthrough introduces a novel method for creating ferroelectric materials while preserving their essential properties, which are often compromised by chemical alterations. The discovery could pave the way for advancements in next-generation processors, optoelectronics, and quantum computing. The team’s findings were published on January 8 in the journal Nature.
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