Copper indium thiophosphate, CuInP₂S₆, has attracted much attention in recent years due to its van der Waals layered structure and robust ferroelectricity at room temperature. In this review, we aim to give an overview of the various properties of CuInP₂S₆, covering structural, ferroelectric, dielectric, piezoelectric and transport properties, as well as its potential applications. We also highlight the remaining questions and possible research directions related to this fascinating material and other compounds of the same family.

The rapid development of big-data analytics (BDA), internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligent Technology (AI) demand outstanding electronic devices and systems with faster processing speed, lower power consumption, and smarter computer architecture. Memristor, as a promising Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) device, can effectively mimic biological synapse, and has been widely studied in recent years. The appearance and development of two-dimensional materials (2D material) accelerate and boost the progress of memristor systems owing to a bunch of the particularity of 2D material compared to conventional transition metal oxides (TMOs), therefore, 2D material-based memristors are called as new-generation intelligent memristors. In this review, the memristive (resistive switching) phenomena and the development of new-generation memristors are demonstrated involving grapheme (GR), transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) based memristors. Moreover, the related progress of memristive mechanisms is remarked.

We show that the manifold of quantum states is endowed with a rich and nontrivial geometric structure. We derive the Fubini−Study metric of the projective Hilbert space of a multi-qubit quantum system, endowing it with a Riemannian metric structure, and investigate its deep link with the entanglement of the states of this space. As a measure, we adopt the entanglement distance E preliminary proposed in Phys. Rev. A 101, 042129 (2020). Our analysis shows that entanglement has a geometric interpretation: E(|\psi ⟩) is the minimum value of the sum of the squared distances between |\psi ⟩ and its conjugate states, namely the states {\mathit{v}}^{\mu }\cdot {\mathit{\sigma }}^{\mu }|\psi ⟩, where {\mathit{v}}^{\mu } are unit vectors and \mu runs on the number of parties. Within the proposed geometric approach, we derive a general method to determine when two states are not the same state up to the action of local unitary operators. Furthermore, we prove that the entanglement distance, along with its convex roof expansion to mixed states, fulfils the three conditions required for an entanglement measure, that is: i) E(|\psi ⟩)=0 iff |\psi ⟩ is fully separable; ii) E is invariant under local unitary transformations; iii) E does not increase under local operation and classical communications. Two different proofs are provided for this latter property. We also show that in the case of two qubits pure states, the entanglement distance for a state |\psi ⟩ coincides with two times the square of the concurrence of this state. We propose a generalization of the entanglement distance to continuous variable systems. Finally, we apply the proposed geometric approach to the study of the entanglement magnitude and the equivalence classes properties, of three families of states linked to the Greenberger−Horne−Zeilinger states, the Briegel Raussendorf states and the W states. As an example of application for the case of a system with continuous variables, we have considered a system of two coupled Glauber coherent states.

Narrow-bandgap materials possess the intriguing optical-electric properties and unique structures, which can be widely applied in the field of photonics, energy optoelectronic sensing and biomedicine, etc. Nowadays, the researches on nonlinear optical properties of narrow-bandgap materials have attracted extensive attention worldwide. In this paper, we review the progress of narrow-bandgap materials from many aspects, such as background, nonlinear optical properties, energy band structure, methods of preparation, and applications. These materials have obvious nonlinear optical characteristics and the interaction with the short pulse laser excitation shows the extremely strong nonlinear absorption characteristics, which leads to the optical limiting or saturable absorption related to Pauli blocking and excited state absorption. Especially, some of these novel narrow-bandgap materials have been utilized for the generation of ultrashort pulse that covers the range from the visible to midinfrared wavelength regions. Hence, the study on these materials paves a new way for the advancement of optoelctronics devices.

The super τ-charm facility (STCF) is an electron−positron collider proposed by the Chinese particle physics community. It is designed to operate in a center-of-mass energy range from 2 to 7 GeV with a peak luminosity of 0.5 × 10³⁵ cm⁻²·s⁻¹ or higher. The STCF will produce a data sample about a factor of 100 larger than that of the present τ-charm factory — the BEPCII, providing a unique platform for exploring the asymmetry of matter-antimatter (charge-parity violation), in-depth studies of the internal structure of hadrons and the nature of non-perturbative strong interactions, as well as searching for exotic hadrons and physics beyond the Standard Model. The STCF project in China is under development with an extensive R&D program. This document presents the physics opportunities at the STCF, describes conceptual designs of the STCF detector system, and discusses future plans for detector R&D and physics case studies.

Since the isolation of graphene, two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increasing interest because of their excellent chemical and physical properties, as well as promising applications. Nonetheless, particular challenges persist in their further development, particularly in the effective identification of diverse 2D materials, the domains of large-scale and high-precision characterization, also intelligent function prediction and design. These issues are mainly solved by computational techniques, such as density function theory and molecular dynamic simulation, which require powerful computational resources and high time consumption. The booming deep learning methods in recent years offer innovative insights and tools to address these challenges. This review comprehensively outlines the current progress of deep learning within the realm of 2D materials. Firstly, we will briefly introduce the basic concepts of deep learning and commonly used architectures, including convolutional neural and generative adversarial networks, as well as U-net models. Then, the characterization of 2D materials by deep learning methods will be discussed, including defects and materials identification, as well as automatic thickness characterization. Thirdly, the research progress for predicting the unique properties of 2D materials, involving electronic, mechanical, and thermodynamic features, will be evaluated succinctly. Lately, the current works on the inverse design of functional 2D materials will be presented. At last, we will look forward to the application prospects and opportunities of deep learning in other aspects of 2D materials. This review may offer some guidance to boost the understanding and employing novel 2D materials.

The stabilization and manipulation of laser frequency by means of an external cavity are nearly ubiquitously used in fundamental research and laser applications. While most of the laser light transmits through the cavity, in the presence of some back-scattered light from the cavity to the laser, the self-injection locking effect can take place, which locks the laser emission frequency to the cavity mode of similar frequency. The self-injection locking leads to dramatic reduction of laser linewidth and noise. Using this approach, a common semiconductor laser locked to an ultrahigh-Q microresonator can obtain sub-Hertz linewidth, on par with state-of-the-art fiber lasers. Therefore it paves the way to manufacture high-performance semiconductor lasers with reduced footprint and cost. Moreover, with high laser power, the optical nonlinearity of the microresonator drastically changes the laser dynamics, offering routes for simultaneous pulse and frequency comb generation in the same microresonator. Particularly, integrated photonics technology, enabling components fabricated via semiconductor CMOS process, has brought increasing and extending interest to laser manufacturing using this method. In this article, we present a comprehensive tutorial on analytical and numerical methods of laser self-injection locking, as well a review of most recent theoretical and experimental achievements.

We review our most recent research on quantum transport, organizing the review according to the intensity of the magnetic field and focus mostly on topological semimetals and topological insulators. We first describe the phenomenon of quantum transport when a magnetic field is not present. We introduce the nonlinear Hall effect and its theoretical descriptions. Then, we discuss Coulomb instabilities in 3D higher-order topological insulators. Next, we pay close attention to the surface states and find a function to identify the axion insulator in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi₂Te₄. Under weak magnetic fields, we focus on the decaying Majorana oscillations which has the correlation with spin−orbit coupling. In the section on strong magnetic fields, we study the helical edge states and the one-sided hinge states of the Fermi-arc mechanism, which are relevant to the quantum Hall effect. Under extremely large magnetic fields, we derive a theoretical explanation of the negative magnetoresistance without a chiral anomaly. Then, we show how magnetic responses can be used to detect relativistic quasiparticles. Additionally, we introduce the 3D quantum Hall effect’s charge-density wave mechanism and compare it with the theory of 3D transitions between metal and insulator driven by magnetic fields.

The dimensionality of structures allows materials to be classified into zero-, one-, two-, and threedimensional systems. Two-dimensional (2D) systems have attracted a great deal of attention and typically include surfaces, interfaces, and layered materials. Due to their varied properties, 2D systems hold promise for applications such as electronics, optoelectronics, magnetronics, and valleytronics. The design of 2D systems is an area of intensive research because of the rapid development of ab initiostructure-searching methods. In this paper, we highlight recent research progress on accelerating the design of 2D systems using the CALYPSO methodology. Challenges and perspectives for future developments in 2D structure prediction methods are also presented.

The geometric phase of light has been demonstrated in various platforms of the linear optical regime, raising interest both for fundamental science as well as applications, such as flat optical elements. Recently, the concept of geometric phases has been extended to nonlinear optics, following advances in engineering both bulk nonlinear photonic crystals and nonlinear metasurfaces. These new technologies offer a great promise of applications for nonlinear manipulation of light. In this review, we cover the recent theoretical and experimental advances in the field of geometric phases accompanying nonlinear frequency conversion. We first consider the case of bulk nonlinear photonic crystals, in which the interaction between propagating waves is quasi-phase-matched, with an engineerable geometric phase accumulated by the light. Nonlinear photonic crystals can offer efficient and robust frequency conversion in both the linearized and fully-nonlinear regimes of interaction, and allow for several applications including adiabatic mode conversion, electromagnetic nonreciprocity and novel topological effects for light. We then cover the rapidly-growing field of nonlinear Pancharatnam-Berry metasurfaces, which allow the simultaneous nonlinear generation and shaping of light by using ultrathin optical elements with subwavelength phase and amplitude resolution. We discuss the macroscopic selection rules that depend on the rotational symmetry of the constituent meta-atoms, the order of the harmonic generations, and the change in circular polarization. Continuous geometric phase gradients allow the steering of light beams and shaping of their spatial modes. More complex designs perform nonlinear imaging and multiplex nonlinear holograms, where the functionality is varied according to the generated harmonic order and polarization. Recent advancements in the fabrication of three dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals, as well as the pursuit of quantum light sources based on nonlinear metasurfaces, offer exciting new possibilities for novel nonlinear optical applications based on geometric phases.

Owing to the exceptional properties of graphene, intensive studies have been carried out on novel two-dimensional (2D) materials. In the past several years, an elegant exfoliation approach has been used to successfully create a new family of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, termed MXene, from layered MAX phases. More recently, some unique properties of MXene have been discovered leading to proposals of potential applications. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in development of MXene from both a theoretical and experimental view, with emphasis on the possible applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with fascinating electronic energy band structures, rich valley physical properties and strong spin–orbit coupling have attracted tremendous interest, and show great potential in electronic, optoelectronic, spintronic and valleytronic fields. Stacking 2D TMDs have provided unprecedented opportunities for constructing artificial functional structures. Due to the low cost, high yield and industrial compatibility, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is regarded as one of the most promising growth strategies to obtain high-quality and large-area 2D TMDs and heterostructures. Here, state-of-the-art strategies for preparing TMDs details of growth control and related heterostructures construction via CVD method are reviewed and discussed, including wafer-scale synthesis, phase transition, doping, alloy and stacking engineering. Meanwhile, recent progress on the application of multi-functional devices is highlighted based on 2D TMDs. Finally, challenges and prospects are proposed for the practical device applications of 2D TMDs.

Topological states of matter possess bulk electronic structures categorized by topological invariants and edge/surface states due to the bulk-boundary correspondence. Topological materials hold great potential in the development of dissipationless spintronics, information storage and quantum computation, particularly if combined with magnetic order intrinsically or extrinsically. Here, we review the recent progress in the exploration of intrinsic magnetic topological materials, including but not limited to magnetic topological insulators, magnetic topological metals, and magnetic Weyl semimetals. We pay special attention to their characteristic band features such as the gap of topological surface state, gapped Dirac cone induced by magnetization (either bulk or surface), Weyl nodal point/line and Fermi arc, as well as the exotic transport responses resulting from such band features. We conclude with a brief envision for experimental explorations of new physics or effects by incorporating other orders in intrinsic magnetic topological materials.

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) of materials is an intriguing phenomenon challenging the concept of traditional lattice dynamics and of importance for a variety of applications. Progresses in this field develop markedly and update continuously our knowledge on the NTE behavior of materials. In this article, we review the most recent understandings on the underlying mechanisms (anharmonic phonon vibration, magnetovolume effect, ferroelectrorestriction and charge transfer) of thermal shrinkage and the development of NTE materials under each mechanism from both the theoretical and experimental aspects. Besides the low frequency optical phonons which are usually accepted as the origins of NTE in framework structures, NTE driven by acoustic phonons and the interplay between anisotropic elasticity and phonons are stressed. Based on the data documented, some problems affecting applications of NTE materials are discussed and strategies for discovering and design novel framework structured NET materials are also presented.

Lepton scattering is an established ideal tool for studying inner structure of small particles such as nucleons as well as nuclei. As a future high energy nuclear physics project, an Electron-ion collider in China (EicC) has been proposed. It will be constructed based on an upgraded heavy-ion accelerator, High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) which is currently under construction, together with a new electron ring. The proposed collider will provide highly polarized electrons (with a po- larization of 80%) and protons (with a polarization of 70%) with variable center of mass energies from 15 to 20 GeV and the luminosity of (2–3)×10³³ cm−2•s−1. Polarized deuterons and Helium-3, as well as unpolarized ion beams from Carbon to Uranium, will be also available at the EicC.

The main foci of the EicC will be precision measurements of the structure of the nucleon in the sea quark region, including 3D tomography of nucleon; the partonic structure of nuclei and the parton interaction with the nuclear environment; the exotic states, especially those with heavy flavor quark contents. In addition, issues fundamental to understanding the origin of mass could be addressed by measurements of heavy quarkonia near-threshold production at the EicC. In order to achieve the above-mentioned physics goals, a hermetical detector system will be constructed with cutting-edge technologies.

This document is the result of collective contributions and valuable inputs from experts across the globe. The EicC physics program complements the ongoing scientific programs at the Jefferson Laboratory and the future EIC project in the United States. The success of this project will also advance both nuclear and particle physics as well as accelerator and detector technology in China.

Spin−rotation coupling (SRC) is a fundamental interaction that connects electronic spins with the rotational motion of a medium. We elucidate the Einstein−de Haas (EdH) effect and its inverse with SRC as the microscopic mechanism using the dynamic spin−lattice equations derived by elasticity theory and Lagrangian formalism. By applying the coupling equations to an iron disk in a magnetic field, we exhibit the transfer of angular momentum and energy between spins and lattice, with or without damping. The timescale of the angular momentum transfer from spins to the entire lattice is estimated by our theory to be on the order of 0.01 ns, for the disk with a radius of 100 nm. Moreover, we discover a linear relationship between the magnetic field strength and the rotation frequency, which is also enhanced by a higher ratio of Young’s modulus to Poisson’s coefficient. In the presence of damping, we notice that the spin−lattice relaxation time is nearly inversely proportional to the magnetic field. Our explorations will contribute to a better understanding of the EdH effect and provide valuable insights for magneto-mechanical manufacturing.

Non-Hermitian systems with parity−time (PT)-symmetry have been extensively studied and rapidly developed in resonance wireless power transfer (WPT). The WPT system that satisfies PT-symmetry always has real eigenvalues, which promote efficient energy transfer. However, meeting the condition of PT-symmetry is one of the most puzzling issues. Stable power transfer under different transmission conditions is also a great challenge. Bound state in the continuum (BIC) supporting extreme quality-factor mode provides an opportunity for efficient WPT. Here, we propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally that BIC widely exists in resonance-coupled systems without PT-symmetry, and it can even realize more stable and efficient power transfer than PT-symmetric systems. Importantly, BIC for efficient WPT is universal and suitable in standard second-order and even high-order WPT systems. Our results not only extend non-Hermitian physics beyond PT-symmetry, but also bridge the gap between BIC and practical application engineering, such as high-performance WPT, wireless sensing and communications.

We extend the idea of laser cooling with adiabatic passage to multi-level type-II transitions. We find the cooling force can be significantly enhanced when a proper magnetic field is applied. That is because the magnetic field decomposes the multi-level system into several two-level sub-systems, hence the stimulated absorption and stimulated emission can occur in order, allowing for the multiple photon momentum transfer. We show that this scheme also works on the laser-coolable molecules with a better cooling effect compared to the conventional Doppler cooling. A reduced dependence on spontaneous emission based on our scheme is observed as well. Our results suggest this scheme is very feasible for laser cooling of polar molecules.

This brief review summarizes recent theoretical and experimental results which predict and establish the existence of quantum droplets (QDs), i.e., robust two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) selftrapped states in Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs), which are stabilized by effective self-repulsion induced by quantum fluctuations around the mean-field (MF) states [alias the Lee–Huang–Yang (LHY) effect]. The basic models are presented, taking special care of the dimension crossover, 2D→3D. Recently reported experimental results, which exhibit stable 3D and quasi-2D QDs in binary BECs, with the inter-component attraction slightly exceeding the MF self-repulsion in each component, and in single-component condensates of atoms carrying permanent magnetic moments, are presented in some detail. The summary of theoretical results is focused, chiefly, on 3D and quasi-2D QDs with embedded vorticity, as the possibility to stabilize such states is a remarkable prediction. Stable vortex states are presented both for QDs in free space, and for singular but physically relevant 2D modes pulled to the center by the inverse-square potential, with the quantum collapse suppressed by the LHY effect.

Topological insulators are emergent states of quantum matter that are gapped in the bulk with timereversal symmetry-preserved gapless edge/surface states, adiabatically distinct from conventional materials. By proximity to various magnets and superconductors, topological insulators show novel physics at the interfaces, which give rise to two new areas named topological spintronics and topological quantum computation. Effects in the former such as the spin torques, spin-charge conversion, topological antiferromagnetic spintronics, and skyrmions realized in topological systems will be addressed. In the latter, a superconducting pairing gap leads to a state that supports Majorana fermions states, which may provide a new path for realizing topological quantum computation. Various signatures of Majorana zero modes/edge mode in topological superconductors will be discussed. The review ends by outlooks and potential applications of topological insulators. Topological superconductors that are fabricated using topological insulators with superconductors have a full pairing gap in the bulk and gapless surface states consisting of Majorana fermions. The theory of topological superconductors is reviewed, in close analogy to the theory of topological insulators.

In this big data era, the use of large dataset in conjunction with machine learning (ML) has been increasingly popular in both industry and academia. In recent times, the field of materials science is also undergoing a big data revolution, with large database and repositories appearing everywhere. Traditionally, materials science is a trial-and-error field, in both the computational and experimental departments. With the advent of machine learning-based techniques, there has been a paradigm shift: materials can now be screened quickly using ML models and even generated based on materials with similar properties; ML has also quietly infiltrated many sub-disciplinary under materials science. However, ML remains relatively new to the field and is expanding its wing quickly. There are a plethora of readily-available big data architectures and abundance of ML models and software; The call to integrate all these elements in a comprehensive research procedure is becoming an important direction of material science research. In this review, we attempt to provide an introduction and reference of ML to materials scientists, covering as much as possible the commonly used methods and applications, and discussing the future possibilities.

We investigated 1-μm multimode fiber laser based on carbon nanotubes, where multiple typical pulse states were observed, including Q-switched, Q-switched mode-locked, and spatiotemporal mode-locked pulses. Particularly, stable spatiotemporal mode-locking was realized with a low threshold, where the pulse duration was 37 ps and the wavelength was centred at 1060.5 nm. Moreover, both the high signal to noise and long-term operation stability proved the reliability of the mode-locked laser. Furthermore, the evolution of the spatiotemporal mode-locked pulses in the cavity was also simulated and discussed. This work exhibits the flexible outputs of spatiotemporal phenomena in multimode lasers based on nanomaterials, providing more possibilities for the development of high-dimensional nonlinear dynamics.

The entangled coherent states (ECSs) have been widely used to realize quantum information processing tasks. However, the ECSs may suffer from photon loss and decoherence due to the inherent noise in quantum channel, which may degrade the fidelity of ECSs. To overcome these obstacles, we present a measurement-based entanglement purification protocol (MBEPP) for ECSs to distill some highquality ECSs from a large number of low-quality copies. We first show the principle of this MBEPP without considering the photon loss. After that, we prove that this MBEPP is feasible to correct the error resulted from the photon loss. Additionally, this MBEPP only requires to operate the Bell state measurement without performing local two-qubit gates on the noisy pairs and the purified high-quality ECSs can be preserved for other applications. This MBEPP may have application potential in the implementation of long-distance quantum communication.

Two-dimensional (2D) MoS₂ is used as a catalyst or support and has received increased research interest because of its superior structural and electronic properties compared with those of bulk structures. In this article, we illustrate the active sites of 2D MoS₂ and various strategies for enhancing its intrinsic catalytic activity. The recent advances in the use of 2D MoS₂-based materials for applications such as thermocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis are discussed. We also discuss the future opportunities and challenges for 2D MoS₂-based materials, in both fundamental research and industrial applications.

Black phosphorus (BP), a layered van der Waals (vdW) crystal, has unique in-plane band anisotropy and many resulting anisotropy properties such as the effective mass, electron mobility, optical absorption, thermal conductivity and plasmonic dispersion. However, whether anisotropic or isotropic charge screening exist in BP remains a controversial issue. Based on first-principles calculations, we study the screening properties in both of single-layer and bulk BP, especially concerning the role of doping. Without charge doping, the single-layer and bulk-phase BP show slight anisotropic screening. Electron and hole doping can increase the charge screening of BP and significantly change the relative static dielectric tensor elements along two different in-plane directions. We further study the charge density change induced by potassium (K) adatom near the BP surface, under different levels of charge doping. The calculated two-dimensional (2D) charge redistribution patterns also confirm that doping can greatly affect the screening feature and tip the balance between isotropic and anisotropic screening. We corroborate that screening in BP exhibits slight intrinsic anisotropy and doping has significant influence on its screening property.

Rare-earth doped crystals carry great prospect in developing ensemble-based solid state quantum memories for remote quantum communication and fast quantum processing applications. In recent years, with this system, remarkable quantum storage performances have been realized, and more exciting applications have been exploited, while the technical challenges are also significant. In this paper, we outlined the status quo in the development of rare-earth-based quantum memories from the point of view of different storage protocols, with a focus on the experimental demonstrations. We also analyzed the challenges and provided feasible solutions.

Orbital angular momentums (OAMs) greatly enhance the channel capacity in free-space optical communication. However, demodulation of superposed OAM to recognize them separately is always difficult, especially upon multiplexing more OAMs. In this work, we report a directly recognition of multiplexed fractional OAM modes, without separating them, at a resolution of 0.1 with high accuracy, using a multi-task deep learning (MTDL) model, which has not been reported before. Namely, two-mode, four-mode, and eight-mode superposed OAM beams, experimentally generated with a hologram carrying both phase and amplitude information, are well recognized by the suitable MTDL model. Two applications in information transmission are presented: the first is for 256-ary OAM shift keying via multiplexed fractional OAMs; the second is for OAM division multiplexed information transmission in an eightfold speed. The encouraging results will expand the capacity in future free-space optical communication.

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have shown great potential in advanced photovoltaics due to their restrained carrier recombination, prolonged exciton lifetime and improved light absorption. Herein, a 2D polarized heterostructure is constructed between Janus MoSSe and MoTe₂ monolayers and is systematically investigated via first-principles calculations. Electronically, the valence band and conduction band of the MoSSe−MoTe₂ (MoSeS−MoTe₂) are contributed by MoTe₂ and MoSSe layers, respectively, and its bandgap is 0.71 (0.03) eV. A built-in electric field pointing from MoTe₂ to MoSSe layers appears at the interface of heterostructures due to the interlayer carrier redistribution. Notably, the band alignment and built-in electric field make it a direct z-scheme heterostructure, benefiting the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Besides, the electronic structure and interlayer carrier reconstruction can be readily controlled by reversing the electric polarization of the MoSSe layer. Furthermore, the light absorption of the MoSSe/MoTe₂ heterostructure is also improved in comparison with the separated monolayers. Consequently, in this work, a new z-scheme polarized heterostructure with polarization-controllable optoelectronic properties is designed for highly efficient optoelectronics.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been widely studied due to its unique advantages such as remote sensing, real-time multi-elemental detection and none-to-little damage. With the efforts of researchers around the world, LIBS has been developed by leaps and bounds. Moreover, in recent years, more and more Chinese LIBS researchers have put tremendous energy in promoting LIBS applications. It is worth mentioning that the application of LIBS in a specific field has its special application background and technical difficulties, therefore it may develop in different stages. A review summarizing the current development status of LIBS in various fields would be helpful for the development of LIBS technology as well as its applications especially for Chinese LIBS community since most of the researchers in this field work in application. In the present work, we summarized the research status and latest progress of main research groups in coal, metallurgy, and water, etc. Based on the current research status, the challenges and opportunities of LIBS were evaluated, and suggestions were made to further promote LIBS applications.

The interlayer bonding in two-dimensional (2D) materials is particularly important because it is not only related to their physical and chemical stability but also affects their mechanical, thermal, electronic, optical, and other properties. To address this issue, we report the direct characterization of the interlayer bonding in 2D SnSe using contact-resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) in this study. Site-specific CR spectroscopy and CR force spectroscopy measurements are performed on both SnSe and its supporting SiO₂/Si substrate comparatively. Based on the cantilever and contact mechanic models, the contact stiffness and vertical Young’s modulus are evaluated in comparison with SiO₂/Si as a reference material. The interlayer bonding of SnSe is further analyzed in combination with the semi-analytical model and density functional theory calculations. The direct characterization of interlayer interactions using this non-destructive methodology of CR-AFM would facilitate a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of 2D layered materials, specifically for interlayer intercalation and vertical heterostructures.