Authors
Jan Köttgen, Nils von den Driesch, Alexander Pawlis, Matthias Wuttig
Published in
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). Pages e00082. Sep 30, 2026. Epub Sep 30, 2026.
Abstract
Phase Change Materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between their amorphous and crystalline state; a transition that is accompanied by a pronounced change of optoelectronic properties. Here, progress is reviewed to explain these property changes, focusing on advances by atom probe tomography (APT). This technique classifies bonding by providing two crucial bonding descriptors. Most important is the Probability of Multiple Events (PME), which is related to the likelihood that more than one ion is dislodged per successful laser pulse in laser-assisted field evaporation. Crystalline PCMs are characterized by a PME above 55%, not found for metals or iono-covalent solids. This confirms that crystalline PCMs employ a unique bonding mechanism coined metavalent bonding (MVB). While crystalline PCMs employ MVB, amorphous PCMs behave as covalent solids characterized by a much lower PME. PCMs thus change their bonding upon crystallization, consistent with quantum-chemical calculations of bonding. Crystalline solids with a high PME lie in a narrow conductivity range between metals and iono-covalent solids, indicative for a competition between electron localization and delocalization. A map quantifying chemical bonding locates metavalent solids in a region where approximately one electron is shared between adjacent atoms and bonding is not too ionic. This quantum chemical bonding map is now used to find and explain property trends relevant for PCMs in various application domains.
PMID:
42812122
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Sep 2026.
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