University of Manchester and National University of Singapore
researchers have shown how building multi-layered
heterostructures in a three-dimensional stack can produce an
exciting physical phenomenon exploring new electronic devices.
The breakthrough, published in Science, could lead to electric
energy that runs entire buildings generated by sunlight absorbed
by its exposed walls; the energy can be used at will to change
the transparency and reflectivity of fixtures and windows
depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature and
brightness. Collectively, such 2D crystals demonstrate a vast
range of superlative properties: from conductive to insulating,
from opaque to transparent. Every new layer in these stacks adds
exciting new functions, so the heterostructures are ideal for
creating novel, multifunctional devices. The Manchester and
Singapore researchers expanded the functionality of these
heterostructures to optoelectronics and photonics. By combining
graphene with monolayers of transition me