Colossal flexoresistance in dielectrics

Sung Min Park, Bo Wang, Tula Paudel, Se Young Park, Saikat Das, Jeong Rae Kim, Eun Kyo Ko, Han Gyeol Lee, Nahee Park, Lingling Tao, Dongseok Suh, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Long-Qing Chen, Tae Won Noh () and Daesu Lee ()
Additional contact information
Sung Min Park: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Bo Wang: The Pennsylvania State University
Tula Paudel: University of Nebraska
Se Young Park: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Saikat Das: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Jeong Rae Kim: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Eun Kyo Ko: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Han Gyeol Lee: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Nahee Park: Sungkyunkwan University
Lingling Tao: University of Nebraska
Dongseok Suh: Sungkyunkwan University
Evgeny Y. Tsymbal: University of Nebraska
Long-Qing Chen: The Pennsylvania State University
Tae Won Noh: Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Daesu Lee: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Dielectrics have long been considered as unsuitable for pure electrical switches; under weak electric fields, they show extremely low conductivity, whereas under strong fields, they suffer from irreversible damage. Here, we show that flexoelectricity enables damage-free exposure of dielectrics to strong electric fields, leading to reversible switching between electrical states—insulating and conducting. Applying strain gradients with an atomic force microscope tip polarizes an ultrathin film of an archetypal dielectric SrTiO3 via flexoelectricity, which in turn generates non-destructive, strong electrostatic fields. When the applied strain gradient exceeds a certain value, SrTiO3 suddenly becomes highly conductive, yielding at least around a 108-fold decrease in room-temperature resistivity. We explain this phenomenon, which we call the colossal flexoresistance, based on the abrupt increase in the tunneling conductance of ultrathin SrTiO3 under strain gradients. Our work extends the scope of electrical control in solids, and inspires further exploration of dielectric responses to strong electromechanical fields.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16207-7

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