Electric field-induced switching of anomalous Nernst conductivity in the 2D MoTe2/VSe2 heterostructure

Abstract

Generation of a transverse electric current by a longitudinal charge or heat current is receiving extensive research efforts because of its potential applications in information-processing devices. Therefore, we investigated the electric field-dependent Curie temperature, anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC), and anomalous Nernst conductivity (ANC) of the 2H-MoTe₂/1T-VSe₂ heterostructure. The MoTe₂/VSe₂ heterostructure had a Curie temperature of 270 K and the Curie temperature was substantially increased to 355 K under an electric field. We obtained the electric field-induced switching of the AHC in the electron-doped system, whereas no switching was found in the hole-doped system. Also, the electric field-dependent ANC of the MoTe₂/VSe₂ heterostructure was investigated. The electric field-dependence of the ANC was more prominent in the electron-doped system. We obtained a large ANC of 2.3 A K⁻¹ m⁻¹ when the electric field was applied from VSe₂ to MoTe₂ layers and this was switched to −0.6 A K⁻¹ m⁻¹ with an opposite electric field. This finding may indicate that the 2D MoTe₂/VSe₂ heterostructure can be used for potential applications in energy conversion and spintronic devices.