Research published in Nature Materials by the University of Manchester and University of Sheffield shows that new 2D 'designer materials' can be produced to create flexible, see-through and more efficient electronic devices.
The team, led by Nobel Laureate Sir Kostya Novoselov, created LEDs which were engineered on an atomic level. The work is said to show that graphene and related 2D materials could be used to create thin, flexible, and even semi transparent light emitting devices for the next generation of consumer electronics products.
The LED, constructed by combining different 2D crystals, emits light from across its whole surface. Because they are less than 40 atoms thick, these new components can form the basis for the first generation of semi-transparent smart devices. By building stacked layers of various 2D materials to create bespoke functionality and introducing quantum wells to control the movement of electrons, new possibilities for graphene based optoelectronics are said to have been realised.
Freddie Withers, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at The University of Manchester, who led the production of the devices, said: "As our new type of LEDs only consist of a few atomic layers of 2D materials, they are flexible and transparent. We envisage a new generation of optoelectronic devices to stem from this work, from simple transparent lighting and lasers and to more complex applications."
Prof Alexander Tartakovskii, from the University of Sheffield, added: "Despite the early days in the raw materials manufacture, the quantum efficiency is already comparable to organic LEDs."
