Nonmelting Disordering Facilitated by Electron Delocalization

ACS Nano, vol. 19, pp. 9317–9326

Abstract

Disordering atomic structures offers a functionality hardly expected in ordered states, including phase-change memory and photonic computing, offering the potential to renovate von Neumann architecture for neuromorphic engineering with low latency. However, significant energy consumption during the disordering compromises the data reliability and integration efficiency, which is traditionally regarded to take place after melting. Here, we investigate time for disordering in isochronal and isochoric manners, challenging the conventional melt-quenching theory. The disordering times of pure Sb, Ag-In-Sb-Te, and In surpass that of InSb by over 50 times, despite a higher melting point and a lower laser absorption rate of Sb compared to InSb. This nontrivial contrast is elucidated by theoretical calculation that delocalized electrons enable flexible modification of bond lengths even below the melting points where undermined bond directionality provides room for atoms to depart from their original positions. Facilitated by delocalized electrons, specifically through metavalent and metallic bonding rather than covalent bonding, atoms can be disordered without undergoing melting, which aligns with the rapid disordering of Sb compared to that of InSb. The results bridge the unaddressed gap between chemical interaction and kinetic behaviors during the disordering and suggest design rules highlighting electron-delocalization rather than solely relying on melting points to improve energy efficiency.

Authors 21

1. Dasol Kim corresponding Aachen Aachen. I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials

   Yonsei University · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Aachen. I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials

   Department of Physics

   RWTH-Aachen University

   Yonsei University

2. Sungwon Kim

   Pohang University of Science and Technology · Sogang University · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory · Samsung Electronics (South Korea)

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ultrafast Phase Transformation, Department of Physics

   Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

   Pohang University of Science and Technology

   Samsung electronics

   Sogang University

3. Jisu Jung

   Seoul National University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Materials Science and Engineering

   Seoul National University

4. Jaeseung Kim

   Sogang University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ultrafast Phase Transformation, Department of Physics

   Sogang University

5. Sungwook Choi

   Sogang University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ultrafast Phase Transformation, Department of Physics

   Sogang University

6. Carl‐Friedrich Schön Aachen Aachen. I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Aachen. I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials

   RWTH-Aachen University

7. Chang‐Woo Lee

   Yonsei University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics

   Yonsei University

8. Hyeonwook Lim

   Yonsei University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics

   Yonsei University

9. Jaehun Jeong

   Yonsei University · Samsung Electronics (South Korea)

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics

   Samsung electronics

   Yonsei University

10. Sanghyuck Yu

    Yonsei University · Samsung Electronics (South Korea)

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics

    Samsung electronics

    Yonsei University

11. Yeonsu Jeong

    Yonsei University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics

    Yonsei University

12. Hanjoo Lee

    Yonsei University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics

    Yonsei University

13. Sangsoo Kim

    Pohang University of Science and Technology · Sogang University · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory · Samsung Electronics (South Korea)

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Ultrafast Phase Transformation, Department of Physics

    Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Pohang University of Science and Technology

    Samsung electronics

    Sogang University

14. Daewoong Nam

    Pohang University of Science and Technology · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Photon Science Center

    Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Pohang University of Science and Technology

15. Intae Eom

    Pohang University of Science and Technology · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Photon Science Center

    Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Pohang University of Science and Technology

16. Dogeun Jang

    Pohang University of Science and Technology · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Pohang University of Science and Technology

17. Kyung Sook Kim

    Pohang University of Science and Technology · Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

    Pohang University of Science and Technology

18. Seongil Im

    Yonsei University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics

    Yonsei University

19. Seungwu Han corresponding

    Seoul National University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering

    Seoul National University

20. Hyunjung Kim corresponding

    Sogang University

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Ultrafast Phase Transformation, Department of Physics

    Sogang University

21. Mann–Ho Cho corresponding

    Yonsei University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics

    Department of System Semiconductor Engineering

    Yonsei University