Resonant Enhancement of Ion Transport in Graphene Channels by Alternating Electric Fields

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-5256-4

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 669-676.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-5256-4

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Resonant Enhancement of Ion Transport in Graphene Channels by Alternating Electric Fields

ZHAO Jiahui^1,2, SONG Bo³, JIANG Lei^1,2,4,5,6

1. Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China;
2. School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China;
3. School of Optical-Electrical Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, P. R. China;
4. State Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China;
5. Nano Science and Technology Institute, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China;
6. Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia

Received:2025-10-25 Online:2026-04-01 Published:2026-04-02
Contact: SONG Bo,E-mail:bsong@usst.edu.cn E-mail:bsong@usst.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2021YFA1200404) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. T2394532 and T22410002).

Abstract

Abstract: The rapid progress of artificial intelligence has exposed the inherent limitations of conventional chip technology, particularly high energy consumption, driving the emergence of neuromorphic chips and ionics. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated K⁺ ion-filled graphene channels at representative density (4.36×10¹⁴ cm^-2) under alternating electric field modulation along the z-direction. Through systematic frequency scanning, we discovered that a 2.1 THz field achieves remarkable transport enhancement with ca. 70% efficiency increase at 300 K and ca. 52% ion-ion correlation enhancement, exhibiting strong frequency selectivity. Temperature-dependent analysis (250—350 K) reveals that the resonant enhancement is robust against thermal fluctuations, with the resonant frequency remaining at 2.1 THz across this temperature range, demonstrating practical applicability. Phonon density of states analysis reveals that 2.1 THz corresponds to the intrinsic collective oscillation mode of confined K⁺ ions rather than graphene lattice vibrations, establishing the microscopic origin of resonance. Detailed dynamics analysis shows that resonant excitation induces velocity homogenization and temporal synchronization, constituting the enhancement mechanism. These atomic-level insights establish a framework for active modulation through frequency-selective excitation, providing insights for designing high-efficiency, tunable ion transistors toward ultralow energy-consumption neuromorphic chips.

Key words: Graphene channel, Ion transport, Alternating electric field, Resonant enhancement

ZHAO Jiahui, SONG Bo, JIANG Lei. Resonant Enhancement of Ion Transport in Graphene Channels by Alternating Electric Fields[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(2): 669-676.

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Resonant Enhancement of Ion Transport in Graphene Channels by Alternating Electric Fields

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