Ferroelectric 2D ice under graphene confinement.

We here report on the direct observation of ferroelectric properties of water ice in its 2D phase. Upon nanoelectromechanical confinement between two graphene layers, water forms a 2D ice phase at room temperature that exhibits a strong and permanent dipole which depends on the previously applied field, representing clear evidence for ferroelectric ordering. Characterization of this permanent polarization with respect to varying water partial pressure and temperature reveals the importance of forming a monolayer of 2D ice for ferroelectric ordering which agrees with ab-initio and molecular dynamics simulations conducted. The observed robust ferroelectric properties of 2D ice enable novel nanoelectromechanical devices that exhibit memristive properties. A unique bipolar mechanical switching behavior is observed where previous charging history controls the transition voltage between low-resistance and high-resistance state. This advance enables the realization of rugged, non-volatile, mechanical memory exhibiting switching ratios of 106, 4 bit storage capabilities and no degradation after 10,000 switching cycles.

A new method for evaluating the rock mass damage index based on the field point load strength.

The damage index is a crucial controlling parameter for rock mass strength and deformation in civil, geological and mining engineering projects. In this study, a new method was proposed for computing the damage index of a rock mass based on the field point load strength. This method provides a strength ratio whose numerator is the point load strength (PLS) of splitting along the pre-existing joint and whose denominator is the PLS of intact rock failure. To validate this method, the authors derived a relationship between the damage index and the integrality coefficient using an empirical relation. Moreover, numerous experimental tests were conducted, including P-wave testing and on-site point load testing. Finally, linear regression analysis was performed to analyse the correlation between the new damage index D R and the integrality coefficient K V . This study demonstrates that the presented new method is sensitive to both plasticity and damage in estimating the damage degree of rock masses in underground excavation and tunnel engineering.