Interplay of defects, charge transport, and magnetoresistance in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides—A Perspective

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a unique set of materials with appealing properties such as high charge carrier mobility, a broad range of spin–orbit coupling strength, and valley-coupled spins. Magnetoresistance, the change of resistance in the presence of a magnetic field, is a technologically relevant characteristic that finds use in memory or sensing applications. However, high magnetoresistance is still a sought-after property. As a result, a great deal of research endeavors are currently devoted to identifying suitable conditions for achieving this purpose. In this Perspective article, we show how the electronic properties of TMDs may enable higher magnetoresistance and outline different strategies to manipulate magneto-transport by analyzing how atomistic insights taken from ultra-high vacuum investigations translate into charge carrier transport measurements.