Colloquium: Physical properties of group-IV monochalcogenide monolayers

Monolayers of group-IV monochalcogenides, such as GeS, GeSe, SnS, SnSe, and SnTe, display interesting properties such as ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, and unusual spin textures. This makes these materials interesting from both fundamental and applied perspectives. This Colloquium explains recent progress in the experimental characterization and theoretical understanding as well as their potential for device applications.