Ultrafast laser enables 2D material manipulation to create next-gen devices

Some 2D materials such as graphene, silicene (different from silicone), black phosphorus, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are electrically and mechanically superior to others.

These materials can give rise to high-speed photodetectors, advanced sensors, hi-tech flexible electronics, and solar cells much more efficient than the ones we use today.

However, currently, scientists don’t have the perfect technique to manipulate and process these 2D materials, and this prevents us from harnessing their potential. However, findings from a new study reveal a solution to this problem.

A team of researchers from Finland’s University of Jyväskylä and Serbia-based University of Novi Sad suggest that ultrafast laser processing can help us unlock the potential of 2D materials.

The advantage of ultrafast laser processing

Currently, 2D materials like graphene and TMD are manipulated using continuous-wave (CW) and long-pulsed optical methods. These methods involve shooting light beams on 2D material surfaces to induce change in their physical and chemical properties.

However, both continuous wave and long-pulse methods have one big limitation. When light strikes a material continuously in the form of waves or energy bursts, it results in the generation of heat which if not properly managed can damage the material.

This is where ultrafast laser processing can make a huge difference. This technique uses ultra-short laser pulses to modify materials with high precision and minimum heat damage.

It can make changes in materials at the nanoscale. “Utilizing the synergetic effect between the energy states within the atomic layers and ultrafast laser irradiation, it is feasible to achieve unprecedented resolutions down to several nanometers,” the study authors note .

“The ability to manipulate 2D materials at such a fine scale opens up numerous possibilities for the development of novel photonic, electronic, and sensor applications,” they added .

The technology is yet to come out of the lab

While working at the atomic scale , ultrafast laser processing can effectively enable processes such as exfoliation (flaking), reduction (adding electrons to improve electrical conductivity), and doping (adding impurities to modify the properties of a material) in a 2D material.

These processes are crucial for changing the physical and chemical properties of a 2D material, enabling their use in the development of next-generation electronic and photonic devices.

However, ultrafast laser processing is a technique which is still under development. Even in lab settings, it involves the use of expensive equipment and has several challenges related to optimization and scaling. “This technology is currently evolving from a laboratory concept to a practical manufacturing tool,” the study authors said.

Hopefully, further research will shed light on ways to make this approach more practical and unveil its other unknown merits.

The study is published in the journal Advanced Materials .