Just as wave-like patterns can appear on a computer screen when pixels do not align, new research led by Flinders University is investigating atomic-scale "moiré patterns" in the promising field of ferroelectricity. The new study, with experts at Monash University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, seeks inroads into electrical and optical science by exploring these complex "superlattice" patterns in various ways to create new energy and material capabilities.
"Similar to the pixel example, we can overlay single-atom thin layers in non-aligned ways to achieve physical properties not present in regular repetitive materials—including superconductivity, special insulating and conductive states, and ferroelectricity," says Dr. Pankaj Sharma, from the Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Flinders University.
"We do not fully understand how these structures behave, but early experiments reveal some unusual electronic and optical effects—suggesting that moiré ferroelectric materials could play an important role in future low-energy nanoelectronics and photonics applications."
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