What are 2D materials?

How can something be 2 dimensional in our 3 dimensional world? Doesn’t it seem impractical, or even theoretical? 

‘2D’ actually refers to the material being one atom thick, and these thin layers of crystalline solids are an important area of research, especially in material science, physics, and computer hardware design.

Because of Moore’s law, the traditional methods of computer chip design are being rethought, and silicon chips are looking to be replaced with stacks of these 2D materials called heterostructures. With the right substrate and combination of atomic layers, these heterostructures can exhibit amazing properties which challenge the efficiency and computing power of silicon while also providing us a practical pathway towards the future of chip manufacturing.

~Srimaye Peddinti