Voltage controlled awakening of memristor-like dynamic current–voltage loops of ferroelectric triglycine sulfate

Abstract

For the study of polarization reversal features in the structure of "mixed ionic-electronic conductor - on - ferroelectric" type, the hydrogen bonded molecular ferroelectric crystal triglycine sulphate (TGS) is used. The dynamic currant-voltage (I-V-) loops of thin TGS plates of polar (010) cut with dissimilar electrodes on the opposite surfaces (vacuum deposited Ag and Ag-paste diluted with a water-ethanol mixture) are investigated. After electroforming in the low-voltage vicinity of coercive voltage, during further cycling, a reversible transformation of I-V-loop shape occurs from typical of non-linear dielectrics to typical of memristive systems and than to typical of ferroelectrics (and vice versa) with a sequential increase (decrease) of drawing voltage amplitude. Such "awakening" and "falling asleep" of I-V-loops of the memristor type is apparently associated with reversible electromigration and accumulation of charged species (e.g., protons), in the hydrated surface layer of TGS as a component of electrochemical capacitor-on-ferroelectric structure. The observed transformation can be explained by considering the coupled ion transfer and polarization reversal taking into account the swinging of the boundary of the built-in chemical inhomogeneity under conditions of linear and/or nonlinear dynamics of ion drift and ionic concentration polarization caused by charged species transfer under the applied voltage.