Creating custom light using 2-D materials
(PHYSorg.com Nanotechnology)

Finding new semiconductor materials that emit light is essential for developing a wide range of electronic devices. But making artificial structures that emit light tailored to our specific needs is an even more attractive proposition. However, light emission in a semiconductor only occurs when certain conditions are met. Today, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, have discovered an entire class of two-dimensional materials that are the thickness of one or a few atoms. When combined together, these atomically thin crystals are capable of forming structures that emit customizable light in the desired color. This research, published in the journal Nature Materials, marks an important step towards the future industrialization of two-dimensional materials.