Sliding Phase Transition in Ferroelectric van der Waals Bilayers
Ping Tang, G. Bauer
Abstract
We address the sliding thermodynamics of van der Waals-bonded bilayers by continuum electromechanics. We attribute the robustness of the ferroelectricity recently observed in h-BN and WTe_{2} bilayers to large in-plane stiffness of the monolayers. We compute the electric susceptibility and specific heat in a mean-field self-consistent phonon approximation. We compare critical temperatures and electric switching fields with the observed values.
Topics & Concepts
van der Waals forceCondensed matter physicsFerroelectricityElectric fieldElectromechanicsPhase transitionMaterials scienceVan der Waals strainPhononVan der Waals surfaceElectrostaticsBilayerVan der Waals radiusPhysicsDielectricQuantum mechanicsChemistryMembraneMoleculeBiochemistry2D Materials and ApplicationsMechanical and Optical ResonatorsThermal properties of materials