The editorial process for the focus issues commissioned by the sponsoring national institutes, Empa (Switzerland) and NIMS (Japan), has been begun. These issues will be edited independently but in parallel under the same title: “From low-dimensional nanomaterials to new electronic and photonic devices.” Completion of the issues is expected in 2026.

Focus Issue Title:
From low-dimensional nanomaterials to new electronic and photonic devices

Guest Editors:
Dr. Lorenz Herrmann (Empa, Advisory Member of STAM)
Dr. Roland Hany (Empa, Deputy Editor of STAM)
Dr. Masanobu Naito (NIMS, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of STAM)

Background and Purpose:
The discovery of new materials is especially valuable when they can be translated into device applications. Achieving this requires a close interplay between basic science and engineering technologies that enable the transition from the lab to real-world implementation. This Focus Issue examines research at this interface, filtering recent advances in basic science for their potential societal and industrial impact, regardless of whether this impact is immediate or long-term.

While this principle applies broadly across materials science, our scope is centered on low-dimensional systems – quantum dots, wires, up to 2D-materials and multi-layer thin films. These systems have become accessible for in-depth study thanks to recent breakthroughs in analytical techniques, offering unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. This opens the door to new devices with superior performance, efficiency, or entirely novel functionalities.

Electronic, photonic, and energy devices are particularly compelling application areas for these materials. First, their critical role in communication, AI, automation or energy generation and storage demands ever-increasing performance and efficiency. In addition, these applications demand extremely fast operation and dimensions at the nanometer scale, which is now within reach thanks to state-of-the-art nanoscience.

However, the journey from laboratory discovery to high-volume manufacturing is far from straightforward. Transforming a synthesized and characterized nanomaterial into a marketable product involves challenges such as scalability, process automation, yield, performance reliability, and cost constraints. Therefore, practical engineering and manufacturing considerations should ideally be addressed from the earliest stages of materials development.

This Focus Issue highlights research on low-dimensional nanomaterials and their device integration that not only advances fundamental understanding but also addresses critical steps in technology translation. We invite contributions that present material or process innovations at the nanoscale with foreseeable impact on electronic, photonic, or energy devices. The collection will feature high-quality original research and review articles, offering a comprehensive overview of recent advances in synthesis, characterization, processing and device fabrication strategies. Success stories that bridge the gap from emerging concepts to manufacturing will be showcased, alongside instructive cases where translation proved impractical – fostering a discussion on the opportunities and limitations in bringing low-dimensional nanomaterials from lab to fab.