Polarized 2D Materials Inspired by Naturally Occurring Phyllosilicates

Introduction

Since the last decade, the number of isolated two-dimensional (2D) materials keeps growing exponentially. The research community relies predominantly on synthetic single crystals, remaining limited to the variations of only several material classes. Naturally occurring van der Waals (vdW) crystals – 2D minerals – offer wider structural and compositional variety, but remain largely unexplored.

Sustainable Nanotechnology

Further, developing nanotechnology based on non-toxic and abundant surface minerals found in soils and clays will ensure sustainable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable electronics.

Current Focus in 2D Electronics

Recently, the focus of 2D electronics is largely on novel semiconductors and spontaneously polarized materials. The number of vdW insulators is extremely disproportional to both semiconductors and metals. Almost exclusively, the entire field relies on hexagonal boron nitride.

Need for New Materials

Surely, this cannot be the only technologically relevant system, and new members would also open unexplored pathways in device design and functionality.

Project Overview

With my project POL_2D_PHYSICS, I aim to introduce and establish a class of phyllosilicates as a multifunctional 2D materials platform. My project will explore their limits with respect to three applications:

1. As gate dielectrics
2. As magnetic insulators
3. As ferroelectric insulators

Starting from minerals, I will study their structure-property relation.

Bridging the Gap

To bridge the gap between an interesting concept and a potential future technology, I will develop pathways to synthesize phyllosilicate single crystals and thin films with targeted properties for applications in 2D electronics.

Potential Impact

If successful, the project will develop scalable novel concepts in charge transfer doping and implement the proposed materials class into multifunctional 2D polarization electronics. With high-risk goals of delivering novel and air-stable multiferroic and neuromorphic systems, POL_2D_PHYSICS has the potential to fundamentally impact the future of 2D electronics.