2D Material More Than Just Graphene; 'Nanomesh' Developed for More Efficient Quantum Communications

A new study recently focused on a new form of the so-called WS2 or 2D material tungsten disulfide, both considered a two-dimensional or 2D, and three-dimensional or 3D material.

As described in the Nanowerk website, "WS2 is a semiconductor," similar to silicon, which is present in nearly all electronic devices. Nevertheless, different from silicon, WS2 can be present in a stable 2D form.

Essentially, graphene is a material made of carbon atoms that's one layer thick, fixed in a honeycomb structure. It has been employed and utilized to make materials sturdier, develop ultra-high frequency mechanisms for communications, boost the performance of the battery, and even used to make tests for COVID-19 detection.

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2D Materials Beyond Graphene

What was earlier mentioned was the usual or typical 2D material, although there's more to these materials than graphene. Since it was originally isolated in 2004, research has expanded to the development of other 2D materials that are non-carbon.

Now, there are a lot of these and they are recognized to make an effect where graphene is less appropriate like in novel transistors and next-gen optoelectronic devices, which produce, detect and regulate late.

In a similar report, Manchester Matters specified that the WS2 material is arranged in a new approach to come up with a three-dimensional arrangement of two-dimensional sheets called "nanomesh."

This WS2 nanomesh is doubling the frequency, and splits the laser light's wavelength, changing its color as it does so, with huge efficacy.

Meaning, it could be helpful in components for quantum communications that use light, where the attempts of eavesdropping on messages can constantly be detected.

Quantum Communications

Light is essential in quantum communications since particles of light, also known as photons, can be employed for the carrying of information.

When a pair of photons experience something known as quantum entanglement, anything that's occurring to one of them is instantaneously observable in the other, regardless of how far they are.

Quantum communication has the possibility of delivering accurately secure communication across the world.

Utilizing the odd property of entanglement, it is likely to engineer a system so that when there occurs an interception of a signal, the sender knows it instantly.

A lot of these attempts so far, to develop quantum communications, have been utilizing laser light. However, for this to happen, there is a need for an effective approach to regulating the light. This could possibly happen with 2D materials.

The study, Doubly-Resonant Enhancement of Second Harmonic Generation from a WS2 Nanomesh Polymorph with a Modified Energy Landscape, published in Laser & Photonics Reviews specified, in two-dimensional materials, electrons can move in two dimensions although their motion in the third, is restricted.

Such confinement provides 2D materials interesting properties that mean, they exhibit potential as ultra-thin devices for sensing, IT, imaging, energy, quantum computing, and communications.

The Invention of 'Nanomesh'

A webbed 3d network of densely packed, randomly dispersed stacks, containing rotated and fused 2d sheets also known as nanomesh.

Its distinct traits are the outcome of the particular synthesis process developed. Developers started by growing single-dimensional nanotubes, specifically, rolled sheets of WS2, similar to a scaffold.

These are filled naturally, with a material from which the said sheets could develop at the tips of the nanotube, as well as their sides, rotated atop each other and positioned like a fan.

Then, these sheets attached to each other to develop larger 2D sheets that would intersect in 3D to produce the nanomesh.

Related information about quantum communication is shown on Quantum Flagship's YouTube video below: