Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Ferroelectric Spintronics

Recent discoveries in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), have opened up exciting new possibilities for next-generation electronics. These materials exhibit unique ferroelectric properties, allowing for the precise control of electronic states at the atomic scale. This makes them highly promising for ultra-low-power, high-density memory and logic devices.
One exciting application involves using TMDs in ferroelectric spin-orbit (FESO) devices, a new type of spintronic technology that could replace traditional magnetoelectric components. FESO devices store information using ferroelectric polarization, which can be read via the charge-to-spin conversion (CSC) mechanism. This simplifies the design by eliminating the need for a separate magnetoelectric writing unit.

This research focuses on analyzing the spin textures of nonmagnetic bulk and bilayer ferroelectric TMDs to better understand their potential for CSC. By studying the Rashba-Edelstein effect in these materials, the thesis demonstrates how sliding layers of MX$_{2}$ (M = W, Mo; X = S, Se, Te) produce ferroelectric states that align well with experimental data. These simulations show strong spin-orbit coupling and reveal considerable CSC rates, which are crucial for efficient data storage and processing.
The findings could lead to more advanced, energy-efficient electronics with faster data processing capabilities.