Progress in pulsed laser deposited two-dimensional layered materials for device applications

During the past decades, atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been intriguing researchers for both fundamental study and practical applications, because of their extraordinary mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties, which are distinct from their counterparts in bulk materials. To realize the device demonstration based on 2D materials, some methods to produce 2D layers have been developed, such as mechanical exfoliation, solution based exfoliation, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and so on. Among these methods, the physical bottom-up synthesis technique, namely pulsed laser deposition (PLD), routinely used for growing complex oxide thin films has been proved to be an alternative way to the most reported CVD method for obtaining ultrathin 2D layered films, because of its remarkable advantages. In this review, recent advances of preparing 2D materials by PLD are presented, including deposition processes, structure and characterization. We introduce the performance of proof-of-concept electronic or optoelectronic devices based on various kinds of 2D layers and ultrathin films grown using PLD and these include graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride, gallium selenide, and black phosphorus. Some challenging issues are discussed and directions for future investigation are suggested.