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Programmable electric hysteresis in graphite/MoS2 heterojunctions through twisting

  • Zhaokuan Yu
  • , Juntai Wu
  • , Yuqing He
  • , Wei Cao*
  • , Xin Lu
  • , Ni Zhong
  • , Ming Ma*
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • Zhejiang University
  • Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics
  • Tsinghua University
  • College of Chemical Engineering
  • Nanjing Tech University
  • Institute of Superlubricity Technology
  • Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Van der Waals devices have recently been shown to enable remarkable field-effect control over electronic orders, including sliding ferroelectricity. In this work, we report robust electric hysteresis in graphite/MoS2 heterojunction devices. The hysteretic behavior is programmable via interlayer twisting, with the memory window sharply decreasing near 30°, confirming strong angle-dependent modulation. Owing to the superlubric nature of the interface, such manipulation can be performed rapidly and with minimal energy cost. The underlying mechanism is further supported by the observation of a finite out-of-plane piezoelectric response in the graphite/MoS2 heterojunction, with an effective piezoelectric coefficient of d33 = 3.8 pm/V. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the electric response originates from a combination of interfacial charge transfer and moiré potential effects, without requiring interlayer sliding to explain the observed hysteresis. This work shows that adjusting the twist-angle in heterojunctions can control ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties, enabling better nanoelectronic devices.

Original languageEnglish
Article number6958
JournalNature Communications
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2026

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