  The charge, spin, and composition degrees of freedom in high-entropy alloy
(HEA) endow it with tunable valence and spin states, infinite combinations and
excellent mechanical performance. Meanwhile, the stacking, interlayer, and
angle degrees of freedom in van der Waals (vdW) material bring it with
exceptional features and technological applications. Integration of these two
distinct material categories while keeping their merits would be tempting.
Based on this heuristic thinking, we design and explore a new range of
materials, which are coined as high-entropy van der Waals (HEX) materials due
to their multiple metallic constitutions and intrinsic layered structure, with
X representing S2, Se2, Te2, Cl2, I2 or anion complexes like PS3, etc. The
millimeter-scale single crystals with homogeneous element distribution can be
efficiently acquired and easily exfoliated or intercalated. Multifarious
physical properties like superconductivity, magnetic ordering, metal-insulator
transition (MIT) have been exploited. Further research based on the HEX concept
will enrich the high-throughput design of new materials with intriguing
properties and practical applications.
