Evolution of two-dimensional van der Waals materials and their applications

This review examines rec advancements in 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials, exploring their growth, behaviors, and applications across fields, includes electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. These materials have attracted significant interest owing to their exceptional properties, which arise from their atomic-scale thickness and layered structure bound together by relatively weak vdW forces. Such materials have been found to exhibit exceptional properties, featuring adjustable bandgaps, exceptional carrier mobility, and enhanced light-matter interactions, and quantum confinement effects, making them integral to advancing quantum computing. High quality of these materials can be produced through various synthesis techniques like chemical vapor deposition (CVD), metal-organic CVD,(MOCVD) molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and exfoliation, etc. These methods have great advantages as they allow for precise control over thickness, composition, and heterostructure assembly. Emerging directions in heterostructure design, twisted bilayers, and novel characterization techniques are also discussed, highlighting their transformative potential in next-generation technologies. Despite remarkable progress, challenges remain in attaining large-scale synthesis, ensuring material stability, and integrating these materials into practical devices. Emerging directions, including the exploration of novel 2D materials and advancements in heterostructure engineering, hold the potential to address these issues. As 2D vdW materials continue to evolve, this review helps to reshape fields ranging from fundamental science to industrial applications, heralding a new era of innovation and discovery.