Stacking engineering in layered homostructures: transitioning from 2D to 3D architectures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Artificial materials with tailored properties are crucial for electronics, spintronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, and energy storage.
• Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials enable the creation of artificial heterostructures through stacking engineering.
• Recent interest has shifted towards homostructures, which involve stacking identical 2D layers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of advancements in stacking engineering for 2D homostructures.
• To explore the development of three-dimensional (3D) structures for artificial layered materials.
• To highlight the potential of stacking engineering in 3D materials for understanding stacking effects and advancing applications.

Main Methods:

• Focus on stacking engineering techniques for precise control of layer alignment (translational/rotational).
• Review of recent progress in the design and fabrication of 2D homostructures.
• Investigation into emerging 3D material architectures derived from 2D building blocks.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of precise control over interlayer degrees of freedom in 2D homostructures.
• Identification of limitations in current 2D homostructure designs.
• Exploration of 3D material designs to address 2D limitations and enhance material properties.

Conclusions:

• Stacking engineering is key to unlocking novel properties in artificial layered materials.
• Advancements in 3D material stacking offer new avenues for materials discovery and device applications.
• Future research in 3D stacking will provide deeper insights into stacking effects and drive innovation.