Abstract

Since the arrival of graphene the range of available and useful 2D materials has been rapidly growing. We are now able to construct novel and complex heterostructure devices from a variety of individual 2D materials with properties ranging from insulating to superconducting1. Such Van der Waals heterostructures avoid impossible growth conditions, and as our final devices only consist of a few atoms in thickness they are therefore bendable making them suitable for future flexible and transparent applications. In this talk I will introduce the technology involved in the production of heterostructure devices2 and discuss our latest work on quantum well light emitting diodes produced by combining graphene, hexagonal boron nitride and various single layer direct band gap transition metal dichalcogenides3. I will also discuss proof of concept photovoltaic heterostructure devices constructed from liquid phase exfoliated 2D materials4.

References 1. A. K. Geim et al., Van der Waals heterostructures, Nature, 499, 419-425 (2013) 2. A. V. kretinin et al., Electronic Properties of Graphene Encapsulated with Different Two-Dimensional Atomic Crystals, Nano Letters, 14(6), 3270-3276 (2014) 3. F. Withers et al., Light-emitting diodes by band-structure engineering in van der Waals heterostructures, Nature Materials, 14, 301-306 (2015) 4. F. Withers et al., Nano Letters, 14(7), 3987-3992 (2014)