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 PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 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.