Reversible Phase Transition Enables Rapid Electrical Switching in Multilayer MoTe2 under Cyclic Strain

BL Yang and ZL Peng and C Zhang and Y Yao and SH Chen and HJ Gao, PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 135, 056101 (2025).

DOI: 10.1103/4zbf-rkbl

MoTe2, a promising material for flexible electronics and straintronics, exhibits rapid strain-induced conductivity changes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, through deep- learning molecular dynamics and density-functional theory calculations, we identify a reversible phase transition between the semiconductive T'b phase and the semimetallic T* phase as the key mechanism driving this phenomenon. This transition, which is highly sensitive to the direction of applied strain, provides valuable insights for optimizing MoTe2-based high-frequency nanoelectronic devices and reducing fabrication-related failures.

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