Electrically induced, non-volatile, metal insulator transition in a ferroelectric-controlled MoS₂ transistor

We demonstrate an electrically induced, non-volatile, metal-insulator phase transition in a MoS₂ transistor. A ferroelectric capacitor made of single crystalline, epitaxially grown PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ was connected to the gate of a field effect thin film MoS₂ transistor. When a voltage is applied to this ferroelectric capacitor, a clear transition from an insulator to a metal and vice versa is observed in the transistor. Importantly, when the biased voltage is turned off, the remnant polarization in the ferroelectric can keep the MoS₂ in its original phase, thereby providing a non-volatile state. Thus, a metallic or insulating phase can be written, erased, or retained simply by biasing the externally connected ferroelectric capacitor.