SoylentNews

Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

The excitement around black phosphorus [ieee.org], which is also called phosphorene in reference to its 2-D cousin graphene, stems mainly from the fact that it has an inherent bandgap, something that graphene lacks. A bandgap, an energy band in which no electron states can exist, is essential for creating the on/off flow of electrons that are needed in digital logic and for the generation of photons for LEDs and lasers.

Black phosphorus doesn’t just have any bandgap. Its bandgap can be fine-tuned by adjusting the number of layers of the material, explains Philip Feng, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Case Western Reserve University. His team has demonstrated some of the first black phosphorous mechanical and electronic devices.

Original Submission