Optoelectronic Characterizations of 2D Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Atomically, thin two-dimensional materials hold great promise for the future of electronics and optoelectronics. A multitude of devices and applications have been explored showing that these materials often possess superior properties to the conventional materials used in modern electronics. Graphene has paved the way, forming the earliest promising devices. Semiconducting, transitional metal dichalcogenides quickly followed, and single-layer MoS2 has displayed ultra-high responsivities that make it well suited for photodetector applications. Black phosphorus possesses a direct bandgap that is tunable with material thickness, making it ideal for infrared and visible light applications. A new class of transition-metal trichalcoginides (MX3) brings quasi-1D characteristics to the table, opening the door to the generation and detection of polarized light and applications in on-chip polarizers, polarization sensitive photodetectors, and polarized light emission. Newcomers are being (re)discovered daily, and the field is rapidly progressing with each investigation.

A continuing goal is to identify the processes at work in these highly promising materials. Photogating often results in high gains, and hybrid device architectures incorporating molecular coatings and quantum dots build on this premise. A fast readout can be achieved through interfacing photoactive semiconductors, with metallic 2D materials used as contact electrodes preserving the overall 2D geometry and improving interfacial transport. Once the physical mechanisms are identified, they can be manipulated and harnessed to achieve an optimal device response.

In this Special Issue, we continue the research on quality 2D materials with outstanding optoelectronic properties. We aim to cover the synthesis, device fabrication, and optoelectronic characterizations, highlighting the physical processes at work.

Dr. Joshua Island
Guest Editor

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