WPI-MANA Demystifies Conductivity of Ruthenate Nanosheets, Moving Towards Next-generation Electronics

TSUKUBA,Japan,Feb. 17,2023 -- A research team at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics(WPI-MANA) has shed light on how electrical conduction in oxide nanosheets canbe markedly affected by small changes in their atomic arrangement.

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The physical properties of a material are dictated by the arrangement of itsatoms. This holds true not only for classical three-dimensional crystals butalso for two-dimensional structures such as atomically thin nanosheets that arequickly becoming the cornerstone of many next-generation technologies.

However,the detailed atomic arrangement of certain nanosheets has not beenfully elucidated,which limits experts' understanding of the origin of theirdesirable properties. This problem is also encountered when investigatingruthenate nanosheets,conductive oxides with promising applications inelectronics and energy storage.

The mystery underlying the conduction mechanisms in ruthenate nanosheetsmotivated a team of researchers at WPI-MANA,led by Dr. Satoshi Tominaka,tofurther investigate their atomic structure. In a recent study,they analyzedhow the possible structural symmetries in ruthenate nanosheets altered theirconducting properties.

The researchers employed a pair distribution function (PDF),which describedthe probability of finding two atoms at a certain distance apart inside amaterial. Using PDF,they found that ruthenate nanosheets with the same atomiccomposition can adopt two different atomic arrangements,leading to differencesin their symmetry. "Although the structural difference was not large,symmetrychanges resulted in remarkably different properties,with ruthenate nanosheetsbehaving either as a graphene-like semimetal or a semiconductor as confirmed byour calculations," explains Dr. Tominaka. "This highlights the importance ofsymmetry analysis,even in low-dimensional materials."

Overall,this study paves the way to a better understanding of oxidenanosheets,which could be a game changer in the development of futureelectronic and electrochemical devices.

Research Highlights Vol. 82

https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol82.html

MANA Research Highlights

https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/

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