Ferroelectrically driven spatial carrier density modulation in graphene

The next technological leap forward will be enabled by new materials and inventive means of manipulating them. Among the array of candidate materials, graphene has garnered much attention; however, due to the absence of a semiconducting gap, the realization of graphene-based devices often requires complex processing and design. Spatially controlled local potentials, for example, achieved through lithographically defined split-gate configurations, present a possible route to take advantage of this exciting two-dimensional material. Here we demonstrate carrier density modulation in graphene through coupling to an adjacent ferroelectric polarization to create spatially defined potential steps at 180°-domain walls rather than fabrication of local gate electrodes. Periodic arrays of p–i junctions are demonstrated in air (gate tunable to p–n junctions) and density functional theory reveals that the origin of the potential steps is a complex interplay between polarization, chemistry, and defect structures in the graphene/ferroelectric couple. The non-volatile modulation of charge carriers in graphene could be useful for future electronic devices. Here, the authors demonstrate that fields arising from ferroelectric polarization in periodically poled LiNbO3substrates can lead to a carrier modulation in adjacent graphene films.