Electrically Switching Ferroelectric Order in 3R-MoS2 Layers

Abstract

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with rhombohedral (3R) stacking order are excellent platforms to realize multiferroelectricity. In this work, we demonstrate the electrical switching of ferroelectric orders in bilayer, trilayer, and tetralayer 3R-MoS₂ dual-gate devices by examining their reflection and photoluminescence (PL) responses under sweeping out-of-plane electric fields. We observe sharp shifts in excitonic spectra at different critical fields with pronounced hysteresis. These phenomena are attributed to distinct interlayer polarizations resulting from specific lateral displacements between the layers, with each configuration yielding a unique ferroelectric state. Our findings indicate two, three, and four ferroelectric regimes for bilayer, trilayer, and tetralayer structures, respectively, in agreement with theoretical prediction. Moreover, each polarization state can be stabilized at zero applied electric field. The tunable ferroelectric phases of these multilayers pave the way for innovative applications in non-volatile memory, logic circuits, and optoelectronic devices.