Introduction

In this book, the limited understanding of the local thermal, mechanical and thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials is addressed through the development of advanced scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques specifically designed to quantify these nanoscale physical phenomena.

Research Focus and Progress

The increased research focus on 2D systems, initiated by the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of graphene, has driven a substantial expansion of the field into new materials, heterostructures and unique physical features, with research output growing exponentially each year. Yet, despite the extensive progress in exploring their electronic characteristics, equally significant properties such as thermal transport, mechanical response and thermoelectric behavior remain comparatively underexplored.

Challenges and Methodologies

This knowledge gap arises largely from the lack of experimental methodologies capable of accurately probing atomically thin layers and nanoscale domains. By introducing novel SPM approaches and refined analytical and numerical models, this book provides the means to perform direct, quantitative measurements of these properties and to study their complex interactions, i.e., thermoelectric, thermomechanical and electromechanical phenomena, at an unprecedented level of precision.

Implications and Contributions

The combination of experimental innovation and theoretical modeling reported here enables the discovery of new physical characteristics and material behaviors that extend the boundaries of 2D material science. Altogether, this work offers a comprehensive and detailed study of the experimental methods, modeling principles and resulting breakthroughs, becoming an essential resource for academic and industrial researchers exploring the fundamental understanding and application of 2D materials and their heterostructures.