Modulation of the ionic flow through internally gated nanopores based on 2D materials

Ionic flow through nanopores can be modulated by applying internal electrostatic fields. However, this requires the incorporation of internal electrodes capable of delivering the electric field. In this work, we demonstrate how nanopores with internal electrodes can be fabricated in a stack of alternating layers of insulating and conducting van der Waals materials. We show that the ionic flow through these nanopores can be modulated by applying electrostatic fields, especially at low ion concentrations where the Debye lengths are comparable to the size of the nanopore. This approach to fabricating internally gated nanopores offers atomic precision of the electrode thickness and spacing, which enhances the tunability of the devices for different applications.