Reversible electromechanical manipulation of domain wall in trilayer graphene via ferroelectric sliding

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) homo- and heterojunctions in van der Waals materials exhibit remarkable electrical, mechanical, and optical properties, making them promising for diverse applications. In trilayer graphene, ABA (Bernal) and ABC (rhombohedral) stacking domains naturally form homojunctions at lateral boundaries, enabling in-plane semi-metal/semiconductor p–n junctions under a perpendicular electric field. The domain-wall (DW) soliton, characterized by strained carbon rings, plays a key role in these junctions. Here, we present a low-energy approach to dynamically manipulate DW solitons by integrating electrically tunable ABC/ABA homojunctions combining nanoscale shear strain with low-voltage fields by an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. By leveraging ferroelectric sliding, this method enables precise control over stacking configurations, allowing flexible repositioning of DW solitons. Our work provides a scalable and efficient strategy for tailoring 1D p–n junctions, opening new avenues for nanoscale physical applications.