1/f noise in van der Waals materials and hybrids

The weak interlayer coupling in van der Waals solids allows isolation of individual atomic or molecular layers with remarkable electrical, optical, and structural properties. The applicability of these two dimensional materials in future electronic architectures requires a thorough understanding of the electrical transport mechanisms as well as of the factors limiting the device performance. The study of slow time-varying fluctuations in resistance, often called the 1/f noise, offers deep insight into the electronic transport and scattering mechanisms, and also acts as a performance benchmark. Here we review the current status on the magnitude and microscopic understanding of low-frequency 1/f noise in two-dimensional electronic materials, with specific focus on graphene, bismuth chalcogenides, and transition metal dichalcogenides. The noise characteristics differ significantly among these systems, and are directly influenced by the band structure, energy dispersion, and screening properties. The noise in field effect devices from van der Waals materials closely compares with or is even lower than that of conduction channels in conventional electronics. The excellent noise performance, when combined with high carrier mobility, energy efficiency and structural flexibility, renders an excellent platform for future electronic, optoelectronic, and sensor applications.