Switchable electric polarization of ferroelectric materials can serve as a state variable in advanced electronic systems, such as non-volatile memories and logic. Control of ferroelectric polarization by external stimuli is the key component for these systems. Nebraska MRSEC researchers have discovered an optical control of the hybrid structures comprising a two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and ultrathin ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3). They showed that optical excitation of MoS2 by ultraviolet light leads to polarization reversal in the BaTiO3 film accompanied by a significant change in electric resistance of the hybrid structure. These findings reveal a great potential of the 2D semiconductor-ferroelectric structures for future nanoelectronic devices with optically controlled functionalities.
