Electrically controllable chiral phonons in ferroelectric materials

Chiral phonons have attracted increasing attention, as they play important roles in many different systems and processes. However, a method to control phonon chirality by external fields is still lacking. Here, we propose that in displacement-type ferroelectric materials, an external electric field can reverse the chirality of chiral phonons via ferroelectric switching. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate this point in the well-known two-dimensional ferroelectric In2Se3. This reversal may lead to a number of electrically switchable phenomena, such as chiral phonon induced magnetization, the phonon Hall effect, and possible topological interface chiral phonon modes at ferroelectric domain boundaries. Our work offers a way to control chiral phonons, which could be useful for the design and application of thermal or information devices based on them.