Speaker
Description
The discovery of graphene – the archetype two-dimensional (2D) system, stimulated the
frantic pace of research in the area of 2D materials (2DM). The rapid progress of the field,
particularly in the growth technologies, is enabling expanding the research interests in other
2DM with outstanding optical, transport, magnetic and other properties giving rise to a
plethora of tailored functionalities. Looking beyond the flatland, the 2D slabs can also be
reassembled into designer heterostructures made layer by layer in a precisely chosen
sequence. Such heterostructures (often referred to as ‘van der Waals’) reveal unusual
properties driven by the stacking and mutual orientation of the 2D building blocks. In my talk,
I will review the current state of knowledge on the most topical areas of 2DM research. First,
the stacking phenomenon responsible for numerous exotic states ranging from
superconductivity to Mott metal-insulator transition will be discussed. Next, the phenomenon
of 2D magnetism will be revisited and I will review the limits imposed on boosting the
material’s properties given by the Mermin–Wagner theorem. Finally, several recent
experimental reports will be highlighted and future prospects in the field of 2DM will be
outlined.
