Observation of native ferroelectric material

In a paper released today in Science Advances, UNSW researchers describe the first observation of a native ferroelectric metal.

The study represents the first example of a native metal with bistable and electrically switchable spontaneous polarization states – the hallmark of ferroelectricity.

“We found coexistence of native metallicity and ferroelectricity in bulk crystalline tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) at room temperature,” explains study author Dr Pankaj Sharma.