Recent Progress in Ferroelectric Diodes: Explorations in Switchable Diode Effect

Switchable diode effect in ferroelectric diodes has attracted much attention for its potential applications in novel nonvolatile memories. We briefly review recent investigations on the switchable diode effect in ferroelectric diodes both experimentally and theoretically. Many recent studies demonstrate that the interfacial barrier between the metal-ferroelectrics could be modulated by the polarization charges, and the ferroelectric polarization that can be reversed by an external electric field plays a dominant role in the switchable diode effect. Moreover, we review a self-consistent numerical model, which can well describe the switchable diode effect in ferroelectric diodes. Based on this model, it can be predicted that it is a better choice to select metals with a smaller permittivity, such as noble metals, to obtain a more pronounced switchable diode effect in ferroelectric diodes.