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Editors: Xuewen Fu, Jun Li & Bin chen

Ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) combines modern electron microscopy with pump-probe technique, which enables ultrafast imaging, diffraction and electron-spectroscopy with nanometer-femtosecond spatiotemporal resolution.  The unique advantages of UEM enable powerful capabilities in the study of dynamic phenomena in materials, nano-systems and biology. In the last decades, the application of UEM in the research of non-equilibrium state including structural dynamics, magnetic dynamics, and other light-matter interaction phenomena brings new vision to the nature of multi-body interaction in materials and nano-systems. In addition, UEM has exhibited great application in the field of nano-photonics and electron optics based on the photon-induced near field microscopy (PINEM) effect, a phenomenon of quantum interaction between free electrons and optical field mediated by medium. The imaging of surface plasma polariton, band structure measurement of optical microcavities, electron acceleration, electron pulse compression and many other fascinating researches have been realized in UEM. Furthermore, with the great progresses in generation of attosecond optical pulses in the past decade (awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023), several strategies for achieving attosecond electron microscopy have been proposed and some of them have even been successfully demonstrated recently, providing an unprecedented powerful tool for study light-matter interactions on the nanometer or sub-nanometer spatial scale within a single or few optical circles.


The development and application of UEM are still fast expanding.  The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics would cover the recent development of UEM and the novel applications in many scopes.  We do hope that the issue will form a broad overview of the current state of this cutting edge field.

We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, View & Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome.  There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.


The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. A copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.


Sincerely,


Xuewen Fu

Nankai University, China

E-mail: xwfu@nankai.edu.cn 


Jun Li

Institute of Physics CAS, China

E-mail: junli@iphy.ac.c 


Bin Chen

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

E-mail: cbcce@sjtu.edu.cn 

 

Editors: Qihua Xiong, Tian Jiang, Luyi Yang & Haiming Zhu

Two dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted intense research interest in both fundamental study and practical applications because of their intriguing optical and electronic properties. Thanks to the weak interlayer van der Waals force, these 2D materials can be further stacked to form artificial heterostructures without constraints from lattice mismatch. There, new degree of freedoms including components, structures and twisting angles provide unprecedented control of properties and functionalities. For example, heterostructures consisting of 2D semiconductors with strong light-matter interaction and excitonic effect have opened new door to ultrathin optoelectronics. Moreover, when two monolayers are super-imposed with carefully tuned twisting angles, a 2D moiré superlattice is formed, which has led to recent breakthrough in superconducting and correlated physics.

 

The scope of this special topic in Frontiers of Physics would cover all the aspects of experimental and theoretical studies on the optical properties and photophysical processes in 2D materials, heterostructures and Moiré Superlattices, including but not limited to:

 

 2D exciton optical properties and dynamics;

  Interfacial exciton charge/energy transfer;

  Intralayer/interlayer exciton recombination and transport;

 Spin and valley relaxation and manipulation;

 Nonlinear optics and modulation;

 Moiré modulated optical properties and exciton dynamics;

  Correlated electronic states and hybrid exciton.

 

We are looking for scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, Report, View & Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected. 


Sincerely,


Qihua Xiong, Tsinghua University, qihua_xiong@tsinghua.edu.cn

Tian Jiang, National University of Defense Technology, tjiang@nudt.edu.cn

Luyi Yang, Tsinghua University, luyi-yang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Haiming Zhu, Zhejiang University, hmzhu@zju.edu.cn

Editors: Dapeng Yu, Dawei Lu & Zhimin Liao




Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (SIQSE), founded in January 2018, is about to celebrate its fifth anniversary. Over the past five years, with the support of Shenzhen and Southern University of Science and Technology, SIQSE has powered the development of quantum technologies, grown into an impactful quantum center with the scale and expertise, and attracted talent researchers in quantum science and engineering worldwide. The scope of SIQSE covers all aspects of quantum technologies, including quantum computing, simulation, materials, and metrology.


 

In honor of the institute's fifth anniversary, we are going to publish a special topic on “Embracing the Quantum Era: Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering" (Editors: Dapeng Yu, Dawei Lu & Zhimin Liao), together with the editorial office of the journal “Frontiers of Physics (FOP)”. We are inviting representative research groups within the institute and colleagues in the field of quantum science to contribute insightful articles in the form of reviews, topical reviews, view & perspectives, or research progress. For more information, please visit: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fop, https://www.springer.com/11467. Online submission system: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop

 

Dapeng Yu
Chair Professor, Academician of CAS, Southern University of Science and Technology
E-mail: yudp@sustech.edu.cn

 

Dawei Lu

Associate Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology

E-mail: ludw@sustech.edu.cn


Zhi-Min Liao
Boya Distinguished Professor, Peking University
E-mail: liaozm@pku.edu.cn

Editors: Xiaobing Yan, Bin Gao & Qi Liu

As Moore's Law approaches the physical limit, the traditional von Neumann architecture is facing challenges, among them, one of the most promising device candidates is memristor. In recent decades, memristors have developed rapidly due to their simple sandwich structure, good compatibility and availability with existing CMOS processes. Recently reported memristors show attractive features, such as high ON/OFF ratio, low power consumption, fast switching speed and high durability, which can respond to the needs of emerging applications. These characteristics of the memristor are produced by applying an external bias voltage to change the resistance state. By exploiting complex material types and a variety of resistive mechanisms, the research on memristors and their potential applications has become the frontier and hotspot in physics, electronics, materials, nano and other fields, and has shown the characteristics of interdisciplinary integration. In the field of basic research and practical application of memristors, their complex material types and various resistance mechanisms play a crucial role in device performance and application prospects. The material types and resistance variation mechanism of memristors have laid a solid foundation for predicting and improving device performance and expanding application prospects. Whether it is a non-volatile memristor or a volatile memristor, the material type and resistance variation mechanism are extremely important in influencing the application prospects of information storage, neural networks and logic operations. In particular, to address power and energy efficiency problems in neuromorphic computing, memristors are strong candidates. These endow memristors with the potential to trigger a circuit revolution, which may once again extend the life of Moore's Law, open up new directions for research in the field of information storage and information processing, and its industrialized application may also bring about a new round of technological revolution.

 

The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics would cover the aspects on the materials, mechanisms and applications of memristors from experimental synthesis, characterizations, theoretical calculations, etc. Articles reporting on the latest progress in the controllable growth of new materials, switching mechanism, application prospect of memristors and the exploitation of them towards innovative and practical devices are expected. Research works addressing approaches to switching mechanism and application prospect of memristors from both experimental and theoretical points of view are also welcome.


We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, View & Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected. 
 
The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. All PDFs of the special issue will be open accessed, and a copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.
 
Sincerely,

Xiaobing Yan

College of Electron and Information Engineering, Hebei University

E-mail: xiaobing_yan@126.com

 

Bin Gao

School of Integrated Circuits, Tsinghua University

E-mail: gaob1@tsinghua.edu.cn

 

Qi Liu

School of Microelectronics, Fudan University

E-mail: qi_liu@fudan.edu.cn

Editors: Qibo Chen & Pengwei Zhao
The mystery of chirality is a critical problem in nuclear physics, and it also shares common interests in many other fields including chemistry, biology, molecular physics, etc. It has been 25 years since the first proposal of chirality in nuclear systems in 1997 by Stefan Frauendorf and Jie Meng. Since then, tremendous efforts and achievements have been made from both experimental and theoretical sides. Experimentally, more than 50 candidate chiral doublet bands have been proposed in a number of odd-odd, odd-mass, and even-even nuclei in the mass regions of 80, 100, 130, and 190. Theoretically, various approaches, ranging from phenomenological models to microscopic theories, from geometric to algebraic models, from mean-field models to beyond mean-field models, have been developed. Moreover, the concept of multiple chirality proposed in 2006 had significantly deepen our understanding of chiral nuclei. In particular, it brings many interesting topics and phenomena, for instance, the simultaneous breaking of chiral and other symmetries, the new observables and fingerprints, as well as the boundaries of chiral nuclei. Obviously, although 25 years have passed, the study of nuclear chirality is still one of the most active fields in nuclear physics.  

The scope of this topical collection in Frontiers of Physics will be devoted to the 25th anniversary of nuclear chirality. Both theoretical and experimental papers are welcome. 

We are looking for high profile scientists to contribute Review, Topical Review, View & Perspective, or Research Article. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.  

The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via: 

http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml 

The new manuscript can be submitted online through: 

https://www.springer.com/journal/11467


All articles of the collection will be free of charge. 
 
Sincerely,
QiBo Chen
East China Normal University, China
E-mail: qbchen@phy.ecnu.edu.cn 

Pengwei Zhao
Peking University, China
E-mail: pwzhao@pku.edu.cn
Editors: Lijun Zhang, Dongchen Qi, Ming Yang & Kai Zhang

In recent decades two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted intense interest because of their unique mechanical, electronic and optical attributes that emerge from the exotic quantum collective behaviors of electrons confined within the atomically thin layers. By exploiting the 2D structural feature and unique material properties, 2D materials and their heterostructures have been explored as promising candidates for the applications in electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, catalysis, biomedicine, etc. In the fields of both fundamental research and practical applications in the 2D materials, surface and interface play crucial roles in modulating material properties and improving devices performance. Significant efforts have been directed towards the surface and interface engineering that is extremely important no matter the 2D materials are fabricated through the bottom-up or top-down processes. These endow emerging new properties of the 2D materials and enhanced performance of bespoken devices.


The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics would cover the aspects on the surface and interface of 2D materials from experimental synthesis, characterizations, theoretical calculations, device applications, etc. Articles reporting on the latest progress in the controllable growth of surface and interface of 2D materials and the exploitation of them towards innovative and practical devices are expected. Research works addressing approaches to regulate surface and interface of 2D materials from both experimental and theoretical points of view are also welcome.


We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Mini-Review, Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.


The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. All PDFs of the special issue will be open accessed, and a copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.


Sincerely,

Lijun Zhang, Jilin University, China, lijun_zhang@jlu.edu.cn

Dongchen Qi, Queensland University of Technology, Australia, dongchen.qi@qut.edu.au

Ming Yang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, kevin.m.yang@polyu.edu.hk

Kai Zhang, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, kzhang2015@sinano.ac.cn


Editors: Tianyou Zhai, Xing Zhou
The isolation of graphene in 2004, rapidly followed by the discovery of its amazing properties, has generated an intense research effort on two-dimensional (2D) materials in the past decade. In 2D materials, the atoms forming the compound are arranged into planes (layers) that are held together by strong in-plane bonds, usually covalent. To form a 3D crystal, the atomic layers are stacked in the out-of plane direction with weak van der Waals interactions. This allows the exfoliation of bulk crystals and the fabrication of thinner flakes, even down to the single layer limit. Such a unique structural feature of 2D materials endows them with various unconventional optoelectronic properties as compared to their bulk, zero-dimensional (0D) and one-dimensional (1D) counterparts. Due to the atomically thin layered structure, 2D materials are likely to have the greatest impact on geometric scaling for dimension downscaling in modern electronics and optoelectronics. For example, the high carrier mobility, tunable polarity of carriers, high light-absorption efficiency, and tunable bandgaps enable 2D materials suitable for next-generation transistors, memories, diodes, photodetectors, photovoltaics, and so on. Furthermore, the strong light-matter interaction and excitons with long lifetime provides unparalleled control over device
properties and possibly new physical phenomena. The challenges in exploring the optoelectronic properties of 2D materials will be addressed in this special topic. Finally, a variety of potential applications based on these 2D materials will also be reviewed.

The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics would cover all of the aspects from experimental synthesis, experimental characterizations, electronic properties, optical properties, etc. This special topic will present the major recent progress in this field from the best experimental and theoretical teams all over the world. We do hope that it will form a broad overview of the current state of this cutting edge field.

Specific materials of interest covered in this special topic include:
Fabrication of 2D materials or their heterostructures
● Transistors
Memories
Photodetectors
Optics

We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.

 
The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. A copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.
 
Sincerely,
 
Tianyou Zhai
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
E-mail: zhaity@hust.edu.cn

Xing Zhou
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
E-mail: zhoux0903@hust.edu.cn

Editors: Lin Wang & Xiaolong Chen
Two-dimensional (2D) materials, with high quality crystalline structure at atomically-thin thickness, show outstanding electronic, optical, optoelectronic and magnetic properties. In recent years, breakthroughs have been achieved in every aspects of 2D-material research. In electronics, channel length of 2D-material transistors has been successfully scaled down to sub-1 nm with high performance. In optoelectronics, intelligent photodetection in twisted bilayer graphene and valley photocurrent in transition metal di-chalcogenides have been demonstrated. In magnetics, the discovery and controlling of long-range magnetism in 2D magnetic materials has renewed the understanding of magnetics. Further investigation on novel 2D materials and devices will promote the development of 2D materials and sustain the high impact of 2D materials to science and technology communities.

The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics will cover all of the aspects from theory calculations, material synthesis, physical property characterizations (electronic, optical, optoelectronic, mechanical, magnetic properties, etc.), and devices and applications. This special issue will present the major recent progress in this field from the best experimental and theoretical teams all over the world. We do hope that the issue will form a broad overview of the current state of this cutting edge field.
 
Specific materials of interest covered in this issue include
 ● 2D semimetals and metals, such as graphene and WTe2;
 ● 2D semiconductors, such as Transition metal di-chalcogenides, black phosphorus, and layered perovskite;
 ● 2D insulators, such as boron nitride;
 ● 2D topological insulators and superconductors.

We are looking for scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, Report, View & Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected. 
 
The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. A copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.
 
Sincerely,
 
Lin Wang
Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
E-mail: iamlwang@njtech.edu.cn

Xiaolong Chen
Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
E-mail: chenxl@sustech.edu.cn
Editors: Qing Huang, Ju Han Lee & Guangcun Shan
As a typical post-graphene 2D material, MXene has attracted tremendous attention since 2011.  MXenes are a class of two-dimensional inorganic compound, comprising of a few-atoms-thick layer of transition metal carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides. MXenes combine metallic conductivity of transition metal carbides and hydrophilic properties that occur as a result of their hydroxyl or oxygen terminated surfaces. Given the material properties of MXenes, there are numerous promising applications that are beginning to be realized, which include supercapacitors, lithium and sodium-ion batteries, composite materials, sensors, and optoelectronic/photonic devices. 
 
In view of these developments, we, together with the editorial office of the journal "Frontiers of Physics", have decided that it is timely to edit a special topic of this journal, dedicated to the topic of "MXene and Its Applications". The special topic will mainly feature review and topical review articles that could provide a comprehensive overview of both the current status of the field and the future direction of it as well as several important original research papers, providing an overview of the research and development in the field.
 
We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review or Topical Review in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose the title and adjust the content that best fits the special topic. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.
 
The sample article (TEX template) can be downloaded via http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml and the new manuscript can be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. All PDFs of the special topic will be open accessed, and a copy of the volume will be mailed to all participants.
 
Sincerely,
Guest Editors:

Qing Huang, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), CAS, E-mail: huangqing@nimte.ac.cn;
Ju Han Lee, University of Seoul, E-mail: jhl@uos.ac.kr
Guangcun Shan, Beihang University, E-mail: gcshan@buaa.edu.cn 
Here are 12 newly selected papers published in Frontiers of Physics during the year 2018-2019, covering the research areas of atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter and material Physics, particle and nuclear Physics, and astrophysics. These papers are awarded the 2020 Outstanding Papers. Thanks for all authors and reviewers!
Thanks to the successful attendance of APTQS 2020, the meeting in this year will be an unforgettable special event in the APTQS history. Trapped quantum systems in AMO physics, including atoms, ion, Rydberg atoms, molecules, hybrid systems, etc., have entered a decade of rapid and unprecedented development. The new experimental platforms, together with the theoretical advances, have significantly advanced our understanding on many aspects of quantum system in trapped environment. New directions in controlling and utilizing these systems outside the traditional methods, such as topological operation, non-Hermitian control, and hybrid systems, are expected to come to fruition in this decade, which would revolutionize the field.
 
In view of these developments, we, together with the editorial office of the journal "Frontiers of Physics", have decided that it is timely to edit a special issue of this journal, dedicated to the topic of "Trapped Atoms and Ions for Quantum Science". We plan to invite a list of speakers to write review, topical review or research articles on this topic. There is no strict page limit for each article, but we expect that it is at least 15 pages long.
 
Thank you very much for your kind help in advance.
 
Best Regards,
APTQS 2020 Committee
Le Luo (Sun Yat-Sen U., Frontiers of Physics Division Editor), luole5@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Kenji Toyoda (Osaka U.), toyoda@qiqb.otri.osaka-u.ac.jp
Kihwan Kim (Tsinghua U.), kimkihwan@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Jaewook Ahn (KAIST), jwahn@kaist.ac.kr
Dzmitry Matsukevich (NUS), phymd@nus.edu.sg

Deadline: October 7, 2020
 
With the successful end of 2020 International Conference on Thermodynamics and Thermal Metamaterials (ThermoMeta2020; http://econophysics.fudan.edu.cn/jphuang/ThermoMeta2020), we feel obligated to launch a Special Issue for the topics discussed in ThermoMeta2020, which will be held every two years since 2020. The ThermoMeta2020 has provided interdisciplinary and in-depth discussions among and in various disciplines of physics, engineering thermophysics, and material science. In particular, its aim is to gather scholars from different areas, especially, thermodynamics and statistical physics, heat transfer, and materials thermodynamics, with a special focus on thermal metamaterials from basic researches to industrial applications.
 
Thermal metamaterials mean those materials or devices with artificial structures that can be used to control heat conduction, convection, and radiation in novel manners. In this case, geometric structures (rather than physical properties) play a dominating role. This fact makes thermal metamaterials different from other materials including thermoelectric materials, pyroelectric materials, magnetocaloric materials, and photothermal conversion materials; for the latter, physical properties (rather than geometric structures) play a dominating role instead.
 
Topics covered in this Special Issue include:
 
A. Interdisciplinary research of thermodynamics and statistical physics, heat transfer, and materials thermodynamics: thermal metamaterials and their basic researches, technology developments, engineering applications, industrialization, and commercialization. Topics include, but are not limited to:
(a) Theoretical thermotics: transformation thermotics and extended theories for thermal metamaterials
(b) Controlling heat transfer with metamaterials, such as cloaks, concentrators, rotators, radiative coolers, illusion/camouflage, macroscopic diodes, transparency and thermocrystals
(c) Metathermotics: Thermal effects/responses of metamaterials, such as thermal conduction of vacuum, anti-parity-time symmetry and topology in diffusion, and temperature-dependent thermal conductivities
(d) Nonlinear thermotics: thermal counterpart of nonlinear optics
(e) Metamaterials for thermal energy storage or harvesting, such as ultra-low thermal conductivities
(f) Metamaterials for thermal energy transport or transfer, such as ultra-high or effectively infinite thermal conductivities
(g) Metamaterials for thermal energy conversion, such as thermophotovoltaic systems with high efficiency
(h) Metamaterials for thermal energy utilization or application, such as zero-energy or negative-energy heat preservation
 
B. Other interdisciplinary research of thermodynamics and statistical physics, heat transfer, and materials thermodynamics: theory, computer simulation, and experiment. Topics may come from (but are not limited to) stochastic thermodynamics, quantum thermodynamics, electrocalorics, photothermics, phononics, thermal machines, and modern thermodynamics.
 
We are seeking for researchers to contribute Review or Topical Review. In general, Review is more than 30 pages, and Topical Review is between 15-30 pages.
 
The sample TEX template can be downloaded from http://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/column/column15258.shtml. The manuscript should be submitted through http://cn.manuscriptcentral.com/fop. All submissions will be subjected to peer review. The Special Issue will be open accessed with zero page charge, and a copy of the whole volume will be sent to all the participants via email.
 
Sincerely,
Ji-Ping Huang
Professor, Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
E-mail: jphuang@fudan.edu.cn

Heterojunction is featured with an interface between two different components. Due to their unequal electronic structures, like Fermi energy, band gap, and band edges, charge transfer and interfacial charge separations are often resulted. This offers large space for rational design of advanced heterojunctions towards various applications, such as solar cells, catalysts and transistors. This special topic collects 15 articles on this topic, covering the applications in photocatalysis, solar cells, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, etc. 



Dr. Chenghua Sun obtained his PhD (2008) in Materials Science under the co-supervision of Professor Hui-Ming Cheng and Professor Max Lu at Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Dr. Sun joined the University of Queensland as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2007 and got the Faculty Position (Lecturer) in Monash University in 2013. Since 2017, Dr. Sun have been as an Associate Professor at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. Over the last twenty years, Dr. Sun has been working on Computational Materials.

As a typical post-graphene 2D material, black phosphorus (BP) has attracted tremendous attention since 2014, due to its high carrier mobility, widely tunable direct bandgap and characteristic anisotropic properties. The excellent physical and chemical properties endow BP have promising potential in field effect transistors, optoelectronics, catalysts, batteries, ultrafast photonics, and biomedicine applications. However, as we know, although BP has the best thermodynamic stability among its allotropes, it easily suffers from chemical degradation when it is exposed in air, which results in a rapid loss of its originally excellent electronic/optoelectronic properties. Due to the fascinating properties of BP, studies on modification of BP and its alternatives with both high device performance and stability are gaining great attention.
 
A variety of approaches have been employed to improve the stability of BP, such as fluorination, ligand surface coordination, capping layer protection, and chemical surface functionalization, which can efficiently passivate BP and remarkably enhance the stability of BP for its practical applications.
 
In addition, a new class of materials has emerged in recent years, termed black phosphorus analogues (BPAs), such as tellurium, selenium, bismuth, antimony, tin sulfide, and indium selenide, which share similar folded structures with BP and exhibit tunable bandgap, high carrier mobility, and a high on/off ratio but with excellent environmental stability, suitable for potential practical applications.
 
The challenges in exploring the physicochemical properties of these 2D materials will be addressed in this special issue. Finally, versatile performances for practical applications based on these 2D materials are also welcome to be reviewed.
 
The scope of this focus issue in Frontiers of Physics would cover all of the aspects from experimental synthesis, experimental characterizations (ARPES, STM, optical absorption, Raman spectroscopy, etc.), electronic properties, optical properties, and versatile applications, etc. This special issue will present the major recent progress in this field from the best experimental and theoretical teams all over the world. We do hope that the issue will form a broad overview of the current state of this burgeoning field.
 
Specific materials of interest covered in this issue include
 ●  Modified black phosphorus with high stability
 ●  Tellurene
 ●  Selenium
 ●  Bismuthene
 ●  Antimonene
 ●  Germanene
 ●  Tin sulfide and its analogues
 ●  Indium selenide and its analogues
 ●  Composite materials
 
We are looking for high profile scientists from China and overseas to contribute Review, Topical Review, View & Perspective, or Research Article in the foresaid areas. Please feel free to choose a striking topic that best fits the issue. Co-authorship is welcome. There is no strict length limit for each article, and for each review at least 15 pages length is highly expected.