Nonlinear optical diode effect in a magnetic Weyl semimetal.

Diode effects are of great interest for both fundamental physics and modern technologies. Electrical diode effects (nonreciprocal transport) have been observed in Weyl systems. Optical diode effects arising from the Weyl fermions have been theoretically considered but not probed experimentally.

Dual quantum spin Hall insulator by density-tuned correlations in TaIrTe.

The convergence of topology and correlations represents a highly coveted realm in the pursuit of new quantum states of matter. Introducing electron correlations to a quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator can lead to the emergence of a fractional topological insulator and other exotic time-reversal-symmetric topological order, not possible in quantum Hall and Chern insulator systems. Here we report a new dual QSH insulator within the intrinsic monolayer crystal of TaIrTe, arising from the interplay of its single-particle topology and density-tuned electron correlations.

Quantum metric nonlinear Hall effect in a topological antiferromagnetic heterostructure.

Quantum geometry in condensed-matter physics has two components: the real part quantum metric and the imaginary part Berry curvature. Whereas the effects of Berry curvature have been observed through phenomena such as the quantum Hall effect in two-dimensional electron gases and the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in ferromagnets, the quantum metric has rarely been explored. Here, we report a nonlinear Hall effect induced by the quantum metric dipole by interfacing even-layered MnBiTe with black phosphorus.

Approaching the Intrinsic Threshold Breakdown Voltage and Ultrahigh Gain in a Graphite/InSe Schottky Photodetector.

Realizing both ultralow breakdown voltage and ultrahigh gain is one of the major challenges in the development of high-performance avalanche photodetector. Here, it is reported that an ultrahigh avalanche gain of 3 × 10 can be realized in the graphite/InSe Schottky photodetector at a breakdown voltage down to 5.5 V.

Observation of in-plane exciton-polaritons in monolayer WSe driven by plasmonic nanofingers.

The transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have drawn great research attention, motivated by the derived remarkable optoelectronic properties and the potentials for high-efficient excitonic devices. The plasmonic nanocavity, integrating deep-sub wavelength confinement of optical mode with dramatic localized field enhancement, provides a practical platform to manipulate light-matter interaction. In order to obtain strong exciton-plasmon coupling effects, it's crucial to match the vibration direction of exciton to the available strong localized in-plane electric field.

Layer Hall effect in a 2D topological axion antiferromagnet.

Whereas ferromagnets have been known and used for millennia, antiferromagnets were only discovered in the 1930s. At large scale, because of the absence of global magnetization, antiferromagnets may seem to behave like any non-magnetic material. At the microscopic level, however, the opposite alignment of spins forms a rich internal structure.

Low Voltage Operating 2D MoS Ferroelectric Memory Transistor with HfZrO Gate Structure.

Ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) emerges as an intriguing non-volatile memory technology due to its promising operating speed and endurance. However, flipping the polarization requires a high voltage compared with that of reading, impinging the power consumption of writing a cell. Here, we report a CMOS compatible FeFET cell with low operating voltage.

Networking retinomorphic sensor with memristive crossbar for brain-inspired visual perception.

Compared to human vision, conventional machine vision composed of an image sensor and processor suffers from high latency and large power consumption due to physically separated image sensing and processing. A neuromorphic vision system with brain-inspired visual perception provides a promising solution to the problem. Here we propose and demonstrate a prototype neuromorphic vision system by networking a retinomorphic sensor with a memristive crossbar.

Room-temperature valleytronic transistor.

Valleytronics, based on the valley degree of freedom rather than charge, is a promising candidate for next-generation information devices beyond complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Although many intriguing valleytronic properties have been explored based on excitonic injection or the non-local response of transverse current schemes at low temperature, demonstrations of valleytronic building blocks similar to transistors in electronics, especially at room temperature, remain elusive. Here, we report a solid-state device that enables a full sequence of generating, propagating, detecting and manipulating valley information at room temperature.

Gate-tunable van der Waals heterostructure for reconfigurable neural network vision sensor.

Early processing of visual information takes place in the human retina. Mimicking neurobiological structures and functionalities of the retina provides a promising pathway to achieving vision sensor with highly efficient image processing. Here, we demonstrate a prototype vision sensor that operates via the gate-tunable positive and negative photoresponses of the van der Waals (vdW) vertical heterostructures.

Robust Impact-Ionization Field-Effect Transistor Based on Nanoscale Vertical Graphene/Black Phosphorus/Indium Selenide Heterostructures.

Maintaining the rapid development of information technology by scaling down a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor faces two serious challenges. First, the gate field loses control of the channel as it continuously decreases. Second, the fundamental thermionic limit restricts the reduction in supply voltage.

Edge-Epitaxial Growth of InSe Nanowires toward High-Performance Photodetectors.

Semiconducting nanowires offer many opportunities for electronic and optoelectronic device applications due to their unique geometries and physical properties. However, it is challenging to synthesize semiconducting nanowires directly on a SiO /Si substrate due to lattice mismatch. Here, a catalysis-free approach is developed to achieve direct synthesis of long and straight InSe nanowires on SiO /Si substrates through edge-homoepitaxial growth.

Plasmon Excited Ultrahot Carriers and Negative Differential Photoresponse in a Vertical Graphene van der Waals Heterostructure.

Photogenerated nonequilibrium hot carriers play a key role in graphene's intriguing optoelectronic properties. Compared to conventional photoexcitation, plasmon excitation can be engineered to enhance and control the generation and dynamics of hot carriers. Here, we report an unusual negative differential photoresponse of plasmon-induced "ultrahot" electrons in a graphene-boron nitride-graphene tunneling junction.

Observation of ballistic avalanche phenomena in nanoscale vertical InSe/BP heterostructures.

Impact ionization, which supports carrier multiplication, is promising for applications in single photon detection and sharp threshold swing field effect devices. However, initiating the impact ionization of avalanche breakdown requires a high applied electric field in a long active region, which hampers carrier multiplication with a high gain, low bias and superior noise performance. Here we report the observation of ballistic avalanche phenomena in sub-mean free path (MFP) scaled vertical InSe/black phosphorus (BP) heterostructures.

Electrically tunable optical properties of few-layer black arsenic phosphorus.

Black arsenic phosphorus (b-AsP) is a promising two-dimensional material for various optoelectronic applications, bridging the wavelength gap between two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide and graphene. In particular, it has intriguing potential in photodetectors and great advantages in the mid-infrared field. However, its optoelectronic modulation has yet to be elucidated, which requires a fundamental understanding of its field-effect optical modulation.

Negative Photoconductance in van der Waals Heterostructure-Based Floating Gate Phototransistor.

van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures made of two-dimensional materials have been demonstrated to be versatile architectures for optoelectronic applications due to strong light--matter interactions. However, most light-controlled phenomena and applications in the vdW heterostructures rely on positive photoconductance (PPC). Negative photoconductance (NPC) has not yet been reported in vdW heterostructures.

Damage-free and rapid transfer of CVD-grown two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides by dissolving sacrificial water-soluble layers.

As one of the most important family members of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the growth and damage-free transfer of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) play crucial roles in their future applications. Here, we report a damage-free and highly efficient approach to transfer single and few-layer 2D TMDs to arbitrary substrates by dissolving a sacrificial water-soluble layer, which is formed underneath 2D TMD flakes simultaneously during the growth process. It is demonstrated, for monolayer MoS, that no quality degradation is found after the transfer by performing transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence and electrical transport studies.

Room temperature high-detectivity mid-infrared photodetectors based on black arsenic phosphorus.

The mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range, pertaining to important applications, such as molecular "fingerprint" imaging, remote sensing, free space telecommunication, and optical radar, is of particular scientific interest and technological importance. However, state-of-the-art materials for MIR detection are limited by intrinsic noise and inconvenient fabrication processes, resulting in high-cost photodetectors requiring cryogenic operation. We report black arsenic phosphorus-based long-wavelength IR photodetectors, with room temperature operation up to 8.

Broadband Photovoltaic Detectors Based on an Atomically Thin Heterostructure.

van der Waals junctions of two-dimensional materials with an atomically sharp interface open up unprecedented opportunities to design and study functional heterostructures. Semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides have shown tremendous potential for future applications due to their unique electronic properties and strong light-matter interaction. However, many important optoelectronic applications, such as broadband photodetection, are severely hindered by their limited spectral range and reduced light absorption.