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Structure and control of charge density waves in two-dimensional 1T-TaS2

Significance The ability to electrically control collective electron states is a central goal of materials research and may allow for the development of novel devices. 1T-TaS2 is an ideal candidate for such devices due to the existence of various charge ordered states in its phase diagram. Although various techniques have been demonstrated to manipulate charge order in 1T-TaS2, a fundamental understanding of the effects is still lacking, and the methods used are incompatible with device fabrication. By using both high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electronic transport to investigate atomically thin 1T-TaS2 samples, we clarify the microscopic nature of the charge ordered phases in the 2D limit and further control them by all-electrical means. The layered transition metal dichalcogenides host a rich collection of charge density wave phases in which both the conduction electrons and the atomic structure display translational symmetry breaking. Manipulating these complex states by purely electronic methods has been a long-sought scientific and technological goal. Here, we show how this can be achieved in 1T-TaS2 in the 2D limit. We first demonstrate that the intrinsic properties of atomically thin flakes are preserved by encapsulation with hexagonal boron nitride in inert atmosphere. We use this facile assembly method together with transmission electron microscopy and transport measurements to probe the nature of the 2D state and show that its conductance is dominated by discommensurations. The discommensuration structure can be precisely tuned in few-layer samples by an in-plane electric current, allowing continuous electrical control over the discommensuration-melting transition in 2D.