Quantum Properties and Electronic Structure of Two-Dimensional Materials
Summary
Two-dimensional materials display a range of quantum phenomena arising from their reduced dimensionality and unique lattice symmetries. In atomically thin layers such as graphene, silicene, germanene, stanene and emerging analogues like plumbene, electrons may behave as massless Dirac fermions, giving rise to linear energy–momentum dispersion near the Fermi level. Strong spin–orbit coupling in heavier Group-IV analogues opens sizeable band gaps and supports topological insulating phases, enabling the quantum spin Hall effect at accessible temperatures. Charge confinement within a single or few layers enhances Coulomb interactions, leading to excitonic effects and modified electron–phonon coupling, which can induce superconductivity in certain superstructures. Surface and interface engineering, through substrate choice or intercalation, further tune band alignments, Rashba splitting and valley polarisation, with direct implications for next-generation electronics, spintronics and quantum computing. Across this class of materials, control of external fields, strain and chemical functionalisation allows deliberate adjustment of band gaps, carrier mobility and topological order, underpinning their appeal for low-power devices and novel optoelectronic applications.
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Quantum Properties and Electronic Structure of Two-Dimensional Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in quantum properties and electronic structure of two-dimensional materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Dirac fermion: Quasiparticle whose energy–momentum relation is linear, analogous to relativistic particles.
Band gap: Energy difference between valence and conduction bands determining a material’s conductivity.
Spin–orbit coupling: Interaction between an electron’s spin and its orbital motion, leading to energy splitting.
Quantum spin Hall effect: Topological state where counter-propagating edge modes carry opposite spins without dissipation.
Rashba effect: Momentum-dependent spin splitting in systems lacking inversion symmetry.
Electron–phonon coupling: Interaction between electrons and lattice vibrations that can mediate superconductivity.
References
- Enhanced Superconductivity and Rashba Effect in a Buckled Plumbene‐Au Kagome Superstructure. Advanced Science (2023).
- Dirac Signature in Germanene on Semiconducting Substrate. Advanced Science (2018).
- Large area planar stanene epitaxially grown on Ag(1 1 1). 2D Materials (2018).
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