Researchers have demonstrated a novel way to manipulate the atomic structure of graphite, a common yet versatile element. Their technique, called “Slidetronics,” utilizes van der Waals forces to reconfigure atomic layers, potentially transforming them into materials with capabilities akin to electronic memory storage. Credit: Tel Aviv University
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a groundbreaking method to transform graphite into materials with electronic memory capabilities.
By manipulating atomic layers, they could revolutionize computing and electronic devices, potentially surpassing the value of diamonds and gold.
Transforming Elements: From Alchemy to Advanced Materials
Can copper be turned into gold? For centuries, alchemists chased this dream, unaware that such a transformation requires a nuclear reaction. On the other hand, graphite—the material in pencil tips—and diamond share the same basic building blocks: carbon atoms. The key difference lies in how these atoms are arranged. Turning graphite into diamond demands extreme heat and pressure to break and rebuild chemical bonds, making it an impractical process.
A more achievable transformation, according to Prof. Moshe Ben Shalom, head of the Quantum Layered Matter Group at Tel Aviv University, involves reconfiguring the atomic layers of graphite by subtly shifting them. Unlike the strong chemical bonds that form diamonds, the layers in graphite are held together by weak van der Waals forces, allowing them to slide against each other. Prof. Ben Shalom, along with PhD students Maayan Vizner Stern and Simon Salleh Atri from the Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Physics & Astronomy at Tel Aviv University, explored this idea in a study recently published in Nature Review Physics.
Innovating with Polytype Materials
While this process won’t create diamonds, it could have even greater technological value. If the atomic layer shifting can be done quickly and efficiently, it could enable the development of tiny, high-performance electronic memory units. These newly engineered “polytype” materials could ultimately prove more valuable than both diamonds and gold.
PhD student Maayan Vizner Stern explains: “Like graphite, nature produces many other materials with weakly bonded layers. Each layer behaves like a LEGO brick—breaking a single brick is difficult, but separating and reconnecting two bricks is relatively simple. Similarly, in layered materials, the layers prefer specific stacking positions where atoms align perfectly with those in the neighboring layer. Sliding between these positions happens in tiny, discrete jumps—just an atomic distance at a time.”
The research team. Credit: Tel Aviv University
Slidetronics: The Future of Material Science
PhD student Simon Salleh Atri describes their research: “We are developing new methods to slide the layers into different arrangements and study the resulting materials. By applying an electric field or mechanical pressure, we can shift the layers into various stable configurations. Since these layers remain in their final position even after the external force is removed, they can store information—functioning as a tiny memory unit.”
Their team has also explored how different numbers of layers influence material properties. For example, three layers of a material with two types of atoms can create six distinct stable materials, each with unique internal polarizations. With five layers, this number increases to 45 different possible structures. By switching between these configurations, researchers can control electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. Even graphite, composed solely of carbon, can rearrange into six different crystalline forms, each with distinct electrical conductivities, infrared responses, magnetizations, and superconducting properties.
The main challenge is to maintain the material’s stability while ensuring controlled structural transitions. Their recent perspective paper summarizes ongoing studies and proposes new methods to refine this “Slidetronics” switching mechanism, paving the way for innovative applications in electronics, computing, and beyond.
With continued research, these sliding materials could revolutionize technology, offering faster, more efficient memory storage and unprecedented control over material properties. The ability to manipulate atomic layers with precision is opening doors to a new era in material science—one where the most valuable discoveries may not come from creating gold, but from unlocking the hidden potential of everyday elements.
Reference: “Sliding van der Waals polytypes” by Maayan Vizner Stern, Simon Salleh Atri and Moshe Ben Shalom, 21 November 2024, Nature Reviews Physics.
