Exploration on two-dimensional layered polar crystals

Dr. Jun Xiao

Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC)

University of California, Berkeley

3：00pm, June 15, 2018

Room 9004 at the HFNL building

Dr. Jun Xiao received a Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics from UC Berkeley (2018) and a B.S. degree in Physics from Nanjing University (2012).

Jun’s research has centered on the exploration ofthe emerging properties of two-dimensional materials through the application of a wide range of optical spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy and electrical measurements.More specifically, he conducted experimental investigation in how crystal symmetry and symmetry breaking substantially influence on optoelectronic properties, polar structures and phase transitions in two-dimensional systems. Along this line,Jun is also interested invisualizing the ultrafast dynamics and driving nonequilibrium phase transition in quantum materials.

Dr. Jun Xiao has published over 10 high-impact journal papers including publications in Science, Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, Physical Review Letters and Nature Communications.

Crystal symmetries and their breaking fundamentally determine the crystal topology and lead to many important physical properties in the emerging 2D materials. For example, the inversion symmetry breaking allows the presence of valley degree of freedom in 2D transition metal dichalcogenide, which is the foundation for potential valleytronics [1,2].

In this talk, I will focus on mirror symmetry and its breaking, which can also shape 2D layered materials substantially. Our experimental investigation and engineering of 2D polar crystals and associated optoelectronic properties will be covered, including the creation of first monolayer polar crystal and the discovery of ferroelectricity with dipole locking in 2D layered materials [3,4].Significant vertical dipoles were observed in both materials by second harmonic generation (SHG) and piezoforce microscopy (PFM). In addition, a 3-nm-thick In₂Se₃ shows electrically switchable polarizations with a very high ferroelectric transition temperature T_c up to 700 K. These findings are applicable to Rashba spin physics, electromechanical sensors and memory devices at molecular level.More importantly, the large tunability of these 2D materials [5], regarding external mechanical, electrical stimuli, or interfacial proximity, make potential symmetry engineering more accessible than ever to achieve new functionalities [6].

[1]X. Xu, W. Yao, D. Xiao, and T. F. Heinz, Nat. Phys. 10, 343 (2014).

[2]J. R. Schaibley, H. Yu, G. Clark, P. Rivera, J. S. Ross, K. L. Seyler, W. Yao, and X. Xu, Nat. Rev. Mater. 1, 16055 (2016).

[3]A.-Y. Lu*, H. Zhu*, J. Xiao*, C.-P. Chuu, Y. Han, M.-H. Chiu, C.-C. Cheng, C.-W. Yang, K.-H. Wei, Y. Yang, Y. Wang, D. Sokaras, D. Nordlund, P. Yang, D. A. Muller, M.-Y. Chou, X. Zhang, and L.-J. Li, Nat. Nanotechnol. 12, 744 (2017).

[4]J. Xiao*, H. Zhu*, Y. Wang*, W. Feng, C. Hu, A. Dasgupta, Y. Han, Y. Wang, D. A. Muller, L. W. Martin, P. Hu, and X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 227601 (2018).

[5]J. Xiao, M. Zhao, Y. Wang, and X. Zhang, Nanophotonics 6, 1309 (2017).

[6]Y. Wang*, J. Xiao*, H. Zhu, Y. Li, Y. Alsaid, K. Y. Fong, Y. Zhou, S. Wang, W. Shi, Y. Wang, A. Zettl, E. J. Reed, and X. Zhang, Nature 550, 487 (2017).