Giant electronic conductivity change driven by artificial switch of crystal dimensionality

Scientists demonstrate the artificial control of crystal structure dimensionality to switch electronic conductivity in three orders of magnitude. The scientist succeeded to induce the direct phase transition between three dimensional and two dimensional crystal structures in a lead-tin-selenide alloy semiconductor, which shows the abrupt band structure switch from a gap-less metallic state to a semiconducting state. The present result would lead to further functional property switching in semiconductors.