2D optical materials and the implications for photonics

Abstract

The successful exfoliation of monolayer graphene has triggered eruptive research and development efforts of two-dimensional (2D) materials in the formats of monolayers, bilayers, few layers, and heterostructures. With properties distinct from their bulk counterparts, 2D materials enable tightly confined light and phonons, unprecedentedly controlled electrons, spins, and excitons, which evoke fundamental new science and offer new paradigm technologies for highly integrated multifunctional optoelectronic devices. In this editorial, we briefly review the interesting new advances in the past few years and highlight the remaining challenges and identified opportunities. As a dedicated research journal serving the photonics community, APL Photonics eagerly looks forward to seeing more exciting findings in the 2D material photonics area to be disseminated in such an excellent platform over the coming years.