DOE OSTI · 3030279
Tailorable multiferroic tunnel junctions from all-van der Waals multilayer stacking
Abstract
Multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJs) represent a class of multistate, non-volatile spintronic devices, in which electron tunnelling can be manipulated by switching long-range lattice and spin orders. In contrast to conventional oxide-based MFTJs, MFTJs constructed from two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) crystals promise minimal defect concentration in the constituents and at interfaces, which may allow for probing intrinsic tunnelling physics and the development of high-performance devices. Here, in this study, we construct Fe 3 GeTe 2 /CuInP 2 S 6 /Fe 3 GeTe 2 all-vdW MFTJs by assembling multilayer flakes of ferromagnetic Fe 3 GeTe 2 electrodes and a ferroelectric CuInP 2 S 6 spacer. These MFTJs exhibit four non-volatile resistance states featuring sizable tunnelling magnetoresistance of ∼10 2 % and tunnelling electroresistance of ∼10 4 %. To tune the properties of the vdW MFTJ, we make use of the flexibility in material choice offered by vdW heterostructure devices; we use Fe 3 GeTe 2 /Fe 5 GeTe 2 asymmetric electrodes to boost the tunnelling electroresistance by 10 3 %, we integrate In 2 Se 3 as a ferroelectric with a smaller bandgap to enhance the ON-state current density by 10 4 % to 10 4 A cm −2 and we use Fe 3 GaTe 2 electrodes to demonstrate room temperature operation. Furthermore, when we combine the asymmetric ferromagnetic electrodes with the small-bandgap ferroelectric spacer to construct Fe 3 GeTe 2 /In 2 Se 3 /Fe 5 GeTe 2 MFTJs, we simultaneously realized tunnelling electroresistance of 10 6 % and an ON-state current density of 10 4 A cm −2 , both two orders of magnitude higher than the highest values achieved with conventional oxide-based MFTJs. In the future, our all-vdW MFTJs with the tailorability of all functional layers may make it possible to investigate fundamental aspects of interlayer tunnelling and enable the design of functional magnetoelectric nanodevices.
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Xie, Ti [University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)] (ORCID:0000000320115123), Wang, Qinqin [University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)] (ORCID:0000000166111465), Zhang, Hongrui [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)], Acharya, Khimananda [South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD (United States)], Chen, Ju [East China Normal University (ECNU), Shanghai (China)], Liu, Chen [King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia)], Song, Zhihao [University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)], Deitemyer, Samuel August [University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)], Arachchige, Hasitha Suriya [University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)], Tan, Qishuo [Boston University, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000258299119), May, Andrew F. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000307778539), Lee, Seng Huat [Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000342543460), Susner, Michael A. [Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (United States)], Mao, Zhiqiang [Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000249203293), McGuire, Michael A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317629406), Ling, Xi [Boston University, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000334629088), Mandrus, David [University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000336167104), Zhang, Xixiang [King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia)] (ORCID:0000000234786414), Gong, Shi-Jing [East China Normal University (ECNU), Shanghai (China)] (ORCID:0000000292927609), Paudel, Tula R. [South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD (United States)] (ORCID:0000000299529435), Ramesh, Ramamoorthy [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Rice University, Houston, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000305241332), Tsymbal, Evgeny Y. [University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)] (ORCID:0000000267285480), Gong, Cheng [University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)] (ORCID:0000000177146380). 2026-02-24. Tailorable multiferroic tunnel junctions from all-van der Waals multilayer stacking. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-02065-1
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.