1.2 Advances in Functional Nanomaterials Sciences
9
Although non of the 2D materials have yet conquered the electronics market,
graphene and its derivatives remained in the focus of international research with eyes
towards optoelectronic and energy materials. In this context, optical and electronic
properties of graphene and graphene nanoribbons were studied by H. Wang at the
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, where these properties were
controlled by optical and chemical means.
The interest in carbon nanomaterials was also reflected in the device-oriented studies by H.G. Roskos at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, who targeted their employment for terahertz detectors and sensors. Exploration of these materials, such as
graphene and vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), took place with regard
to applications at THz frequencies. Firstly, the dielectric properties of VACNTs in the
THz/mid-IR range, and secondly, THz detection schemes based on antenna-coupled
graphene field-effect transistors were addressed by him.
In addition to graphene and the prominent TMDCs, other 2D materials gained
prominence due to their unique monolayer properties. For instance, ultrafast nonlinear optical effects in black phosphorus were studied by J. He from the Central
South University in Changsha, China, who identified the saturable absorption properties and ultrafast carrier dynamics in black phosphorus nanosheets and quantum
dots suspended in solvent at UV–VIS–IR wavelengths as promising playground for
nonlinear optics.
Since layered materials and artificial spacer layers play critical roles in photonic
and photoelectronic devices, N. Dai and co-workers from the National Laboratory for
Infrared Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, introduced an interlayer
IR excitation to van-der-Waals (vdW) layered heterostructures, which act as functional nanostructures, and investigated artificial spacer layers in the metasurfaces.
Although various research has been focused on trending material systems, silicon
materials have not reached the end of the road yet. Recent work on the inverse design
of silicon nanomaterials for highly-efficient light emitting and CMOS-compatible
qubits
3 was presented by Beijing’s J. Luo from the State Key Laboratory of Superlattices and Microstructures, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, a deep
understanding of light emission from Si quantum dots was summarised. These nanomaterials were for instance envisioned for optoelectronic and spintronic applications.
Additionally, Si nanocrystals were expected to improve existing Si-based technologies and advance the use of Si towards new fields.
In terms of optoelectronic applications, high-performance photodetectors had
been developed by heavy-boron (B) doping in Si nanocrystals by X. Pi and coworkers at the State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, ZJU. Additionally, he
referred to high-performance near-IR LEDs employing these nanocrystals.
Apart from heavy investigations on trend materials, conventional systems comprising of (inorganic–inorganic or organic–organic) semiconductor–semiconductor
3 Acronym for quantum bits, which in contrast to classical bits (binary digits) are in a so-called
quantum state (superposition of possible eigen-states). Example qubits are single photons, single
electrons or ions, superconducting circuits.
9
Although non of the 2D materials have yet conquered the electronics market,
graphene and its derivatives remained in the focus of international research with eyes
towards optoelectronic and energy materials. In this context, optical and electronic
properties of graphene and graphene nanoribbons were studied by H. Wang at the
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, where these properties were
controlled by optical and chemical means.
The interest in carbon nanomaterials was also reflected in the device-oriented studies by H.G. Roskos at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, who targeted their employment for terahertz detectors and sensors. Exploration of these materials, such as
graphene and vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), took place with regard
to applications at THz frequencies. Firstly, the dielectric properties of VACNTs in the
THz/mid-IR range, and secondly, THz detection schemes based on antenna-coupled
graphene field-effect transistors were addressed by him.
In addition to graphene and the prominent TMDCs, other 2D materials gained
prominence due to their unique monolayer properties. For instance, ultrafast nonlinear optical effects in black phosphorus were studied by J. He from the Central
South University in Changsha, China, who identified the saturable absorption properties and ultrafast carrier dynamics in black phosphorus nanosheets and quantum
dots suspended in solvent at UV–VIS–IR wavelengths as promising playground for
nonlinear optics.
Since layered materials and artificial spacer layers play critical roles in photonic
and photoelectronic devices, N. Dai and co-workers from the National Laboratory for
Infrared Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, introduced an interlayer
IR excitation to van-der-Waals (vdW) layered heterostructures, which act as functional nanostructures, and investigated artificial spacer layers in the metasurfaces.
Although various research has been focused on trending material systems, silicon
materials have not reached the end of the road yet. Recent work on the inverse design
of silicon nanomaterials for highly-efficient light emitting and CMOS-compatible
qubits
3 was presented by Beijing’s J. Luo from the State Key Laboratory of Superlattices and Microstructures, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, a deep
understanding of light emission from Si quantum dots was summarised. These nanomaterials were for instance envisioned for optoelectronic and spintronic applications.
Additionally, Si nanocrystals were expected to improve existing Si-based technologies and advance the use of Si towards new fields.
In terms of optoelectronic applications, high-performance photodetectors had
been developed by heavy-boron (B) doping in Si nanocrystals by X. Pi and coworkers at the State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, ZJU. Additionally, he
referred to high-performance near-IR LEDs employing these nanocrystals.
Apart from heavy investigations on trend materials, conventional systems comprising of (inorganic–inorganic or organic–organic) semiconductor–semiconductor
3 Acronym for quantum bits, which in contrast to classical bits (binary digits) are in a so-called
quantum state (superposition of possible eigen-states). Example qubits are single photons, single
electrons or ions, superconducting circuits.