Excitons and Phonons in Two-Dimensional Materials: From Fundamental to Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The isolation of graphene opened up the gate to investigate a vast family of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. A concept of an exciton, an electron-hole pair (e–h) bound by Coulomb interactions, lies at the foundation of solid state physics. Excitons are responsible for the electronic and optical response of many semiconductors. Particularly, an optical response of the semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides, e.g. MoS₂, WS₂, and WSe₂, is dominated by the emergence of excitons even at room temperature. Simultaneously, lattice dynamics in solids is described by the phonons. They not only characterize the vibrations of atoms, but can also significantly influence the light−matter interaction due to the electron-phonon or exciton-phonon (e-p) coupling. As recently, a variety of intriguing excitonic complexes have been identified and described in monolayers of 2D materials: so‑called bright and dark complexes, neutral and charged excitons, biexcitons, etc. A family of excitons is even larger in multilayered specimens and artificial van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. Phonons are also present in the optical response of different layered materials, apparent as phonon replicas. Consequently, the investigation of the phonon modes in 2D materials on account of e-p coupling is essential in terms of potential applications of layered materials.

This Special Issue, entitled “Excitons and Phonons in Two-Dimensional Materials: From Fundamental to Applications”, aims to cover the entire range of fundamental and applied research associated with excitonic complexes and phonon modes in two-dimensional layered materials.

Dr. Maciej Molas
Guest Editor

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