In physics, 2-dimensional systems are idealized physical systems whose relevant degrees of freedom are confined to a plane or an effectively two-dimensional manifold, such that dynamics and interactions occur predominantly within two spatial dimensions. They exhibit distinct phenomena compared with three-dimensional counterparts, including modified density of states, altered screening and fluctuation behavior, and dimensionality-dependent phase transitions (e.g., Kosterlitz–Thouless transitions mediated by topological defects). Examples include electrons in quantum wells or at interfaces, ultrathin films, and certain spin or lattice models defined on 2D lattices, which serve as fundamental platforms for studying critical phenomena, topological phases, and low-dimensional quantum many-body effects.
Physicists in China have unveiled new clues to the origins of high-temperature superconductivity in an iron-based material just a single unit-cell thick. Led by Qi-Kun Xue and Lili Wang at Tsinghua University, the team's ...
Strange things happen to materials when you peel them down, layer by layer, from thick chunks all the way to sheets just an atom thick. Reporting in the journal Nature Materials, a team led by physicists at The University ...
Nanophysics
Mar 2, 2026
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158
Chinese researchers have developed a photocatalytic membrane reactor that dramatically improves the synthesis of imines—a class of compounds essential to the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and advanced synthetic ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 2, 2026
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Atomically thin semiconductors such as tungsten disulfide (WS2) are promising materials for future photonic technologies. Despite being only a single layer of atoms thick, they host tightly bound excitons—pairs of electrons ...
Nanophysics
Mar 2, 2026
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43
Conventional crystals are materials in which atoms arrange themselves in repeating spatial patterns. Time crystals, on the other hand, are phases of matter characterized by repeating motions over time without constantly heating ...
The types of glass that we encounter in everyday life, such as window glass or smartphone screens, are disordered solids. This means that they consist of particles locked in place, like those in solids, but arranged randomly, ...
For nearly two decades, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have been studied as a complement or possible successor to silicon transistors, promising smaller, faster and more energy-efficient processors. To ease their production ...
Nanomaterials
Feb 27, 2026
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61
Many cutting-edge technologies, ranging from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems, rely on components that enable the precise control of light. These components include ...
Future devices will continue to probe the frontier of the very small, and at scales where functionality depends on mere atoms, even the tiniest flaw matters. Researchers at Rice University have shown that hard-to-spot defects ...
Nanophysics
Feb 26, 2026
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30
The world is never really at rest. Even in a vacuum near ultracold temperatures where all classical motion should come to a halt, you'll find quantum fluctuations. In thin, two-dimensional materials, these include random ...
Superconductivity
Feb 26, 2026
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