Interface and Defect Modification of 2D Materials

Many new classes of materials benefit in their functionality from structural modifications, from the industrially adopted implantation technologies to the interfacial engineering common to many nanostructured composites and two-dimensional materials. However, experimental classification of the structural aspect of these materials required for theoretical design is problematic on two fronts: (i) the characterization methods themselves are hardly non-invasive and may not cover the length scales relevant to holistic modeling (ii) the techniques relevant for processing currently adopted materials are not relevant for integrating advanced materials into new devices. Here, I will discuss our routes to build and characterize new materials and ‘artificial’ materials through both ion beam modification and analysis and heterostructuring of layered materials as examples. While implantation in 2D materials is a key challenge in the community, we find targeted dosing with relatively low-energy ions leaves the structure with a relatively unchanged vibrational structure while inducing a large red-shift in optical band emission that is tied to complex coupling between strain and defects. Finally, I will also discuss our new routes to engineer the quantum optical properties of layered materials with defect emission in the industrially relevant telecommunications spectral regime using both heterostructuring of 2D semiconductors as well as proximity induced effects when a 2D semiconductor is placed on a 2D magnet, with a focus on the interfacial phonon dynamics and operation at relatively high temperatures near the boiling point of nitrogen. These modifications will have profound effects on thermal properties of materials and thus the introduction of these topics is intended to stimulate collaborations between researchers in the thermal and materials science communities.