Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor

Chun Ying Huang; Daniel G. Chica; Zhi Hao Cui; Taketo Handa; Morgan Thinel; Nicholas Olsen; Yufeng Liu; Michael E. Ziebel; Guiying He; Yinming Shao; Connor A. Occhialini; Jonathan Pelliciari; Dmitri N. Basov; Matthew Sfeir; Abhay Pasupathy; Valentina Bisogni; David R. Reichman; Xavier Roy; Xiaoyang Zhu

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57061-9

Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor

Chun Ying Huang, Daniel G. Chica, Zhi Hao Cui, Taketo Handa, Morgan Thinel, Nicholas Olsen, Yufeng Liu, Michael E. Ziebel, Guiying He, Yinming Shao, Connor A. Occhialini, Jonathan Pelliciari, Dmitri N. Basov, Matthew Sfeir, Abhay Pasupathy, Valentina Bisogni, David R. Reichman, Xavier Roy, Xiaoyang Zhu

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

A ferroelectric material often exhibits a soft transverse optical (TO) phonon mode which governs its phase transition. Charge coupling to this ferroelectric soft mode may further mediate emergent physical properties, including superconductivity and defect tolerance in semiconductors. However, direct experimental evidence for such coupling is scarce. Here we show that a photogenerated coherent phonon couples strongly to the electronic transition above the bandgap in the van der Waals (vdW) two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI₂. Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we identify this mode as the TO phonon responsible for ferroelectric order. This exclusive coupling occurs only with the above-gap electronic transition and is absent in the valence band as revealed by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. Our findings suggest a new role of the soft TO phonon mode in electronic and optical properties of ferroelectric semiconductors.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	1896
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57061-9
State	Published - Dec 2025

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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Huang, C. Y., Chica, D. G., Cui, Z. H., Handa, T., Thinel, M., Olsen, N., Liu, Y., Ziebel, M. E., He, G., Shao, Y., Occhialini, C. A., Pelliciari, J., Basov, D. N., Sfeir, M., Pasupathy, A., Bisogni, V., Reichman, D. R., Roy, X., & Zhu, X. (2025). Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor. Nature communications, 16(1), Article 1896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57061-9

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title = "Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor",

abstract = "A ferroelectric material often exhibits a soft transverse optical (TO) phonon mode which governs its phase transition. Charge coupling to this ferroelectric soft mode may further mediate emergent physical properties, including superconductivity and defect tolerance in semiconductors. However, direct experimental evidence for such coupling is scarce. Here we show that a photogenerated coherent phonon couples strongly to the electronic transition above the bandgap in the van der Waals (vdW) two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI2. Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we identify this mode as the TO phonon responsible for ferroelectric order. This exclusive coupling occurs only with the above-gap electronic transition and is absent in the valence band as revealed by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. Our findings suggest a new role of the soft TO phonon mode in electronic and optical properties of ferroelectric semiconductors.",

author = "Huang, {Chun Ying} and Chica, {Daniel G.} and Cui, {Zhi Hao} and Taketo Handa and Morgan Thinel and Nicholas Olsen and Yufeng Liu and Ziebel, {Michael E.} and Guiying He and Yinming Shao and Occhialini, {Connor A.} and Jonathan Pelliciari and Basov, {Dmitri N.} and Matthew Sfeir and Abhay Pasupathy and Valentina Bisogni and Reichman, {David R.} and Xavier Roy and Xiaoyang Zhu",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-57061-9",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "16",

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Huang, CY, Chica, DG, Cui, ZH, Handa, T, Thinel, M, Olsen, N, Liu, Y, Ziebel, ME, He, G, Shao, Y, Occhialini, CA, Pelliciari, J, Basov, DN, Sfeir, M, Pasupathy, A, Bisogni, V, Reichman, DR, Roy, X & Zhu, X 2025, 'Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor', Nature communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 1896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57061-9

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T1 - Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor

AU - Huang, Chun Ying

AU - Chica, Daniel G.

AU - Cui, Zhi Hao

AU - Handa, Taketo

AU - Thinel, Morgan

AU - Olsen, Nicholas

AU - Liu, Yufeng

AU - Ziebel, Michael E.

AU - He, Guiying

AU - Shao, Yinming

AU - Occhialini, Connor A.

AU - Pelliciari, Jonathan

AU - Basov, Dmitri N.

AU - Sfeir, Matthew

AU - Pasupathy, Abhay

AU - Bisogni, Valentina

AU - Reichman, David R.

AU - Roy, Xavier

AU - Zhu, Xiaoyang

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - A ferroelectric material often exhibits a soft transverse optical (TO) phonon mode which governs its phase transition. Charge coupling to this ferroelectric soft mode may further mediate emergent physical properties, including superconductivity and defect tolerance in semiconductors. However, direct experimental evidence for such coupling is scarce. Here we show that a photogenerated coherent phonon couples strongly to the electronic transition above the bandgap in the van der Waals (vdW) two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI2. Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we identify this mode as the TO phonon responsible for ferroelectric order. This exclusive coupling occurs only with the above-gap electronic transition and is absent in the valence band as revealed by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. Our findings suggest a new role of the soft TO phonon mode in electronic and optical properties of ferroelectric semiconductors.

AB - A ferroelectric material often exhibits a soft transverse optical (TO) phonon mode which governs its phase transition. Charge coupling to this ferroelectric soft mode may further mediate emergent physical properties, including superconductivity and defect tolerance in semiconductors. However, direct experimental evidence for such coupling is scarce. Here we show that a photogenerated coherent phonon couples strongly to the electronic transition above the bandgap in the van der Waals (vdW) two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI2. Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we identify this mode as the TO phonon responsible for ferroelectric order. This exclusive coupling occurs only with the above-gap electronic transition and is absent in the valence band as revealed by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. Our findings suggest a new role of the soft TO phonon mode in electronic and optical properties of ferroelectric semiconductors.

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JO - Nature communications

JF - Nature communications

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Coupling of electronic transition to ferroelectric order in a 2D semiconductor

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