Scientists found a way to flip a material’s electrical switch just by squeezing it, no battery required.
arXiv · March 18, 2026 · 2603.15984
The Takeaway
By physically pressing on a specific oxide film, researchers can switch its internal 'polarization' with zero voltage. This 'mechanical switching' could lead to new types of computer memory or sensors that require almost no power to operate.
From the abstract
BiFeO3 is a model multiferroic in which the ferroelectric polarization is coupled to ferroelastic lattice distortions, yet deterministic control of its domain structure remains limited by high switching fields and competing polarization variants. Here, we identify a mechanically assisted polarization switching pathway in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films that fundamentally alters the switching energetics. Using just out-of-plane electric fields, polarization reversal requires voltages of approximately