Stacking ferroelectricity in two-dimensional van der Waals materials

Abstract Miniaturization of ferroelectrics for technological applications has proven challenging
due to the suppression of electric polarization caused by increasing depolarization fields
as material thickness decreases. The emergence of ferroelectricity in two-dimensional
(2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials offers a potential solution to this challenge,
prompting significant research efforts over the past decade. While intrinsic 2D vdW
ferroelectrics are scarce, polar stacking provides a more general approach to
introducing ferroelectricity in these materials. This review revisits the fundamental
concept of stacking ferroelectricity, complemented by symmetry analysis for
constructing polar stackings, and both classical and quantum perspectives on the origin
of stacking ferroelectrics. We present key advances in polarization dynamics and briefly
summarize various physical phenomena directly coupled to stacking ferroelectricity,