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Electronic Transport in Strain-Engineered Graphene
Add to Calendar 2021-04-15T19:45:00 2021-04-15T20:45:00 UTC Electronic Transport in Strain-Engineered Graphene HTTPS://PSU.ZOOM.US/J/95392137901?PWD=U0PMU1EZOG1RQ2RJTTFHUZH1AHRWQT09
Start DateThu, Apr 15, 2021
3:45 PM
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End DateThu, Apr 15, 2021
4:45 PM
Presented By
Nadya Mason, University of Illinois
Event Series: Physics Colloquium

There is wide interest in using strain-engineering to modify the physical properties of 2D materials, for both basic science and applications. Deformations of graphene, for example, can lead to the opening of band gaps, as well as the generation of pseudo-magnetic fields and novel electronic states. We demonstrate how controllable, device-compatible strain patterns in graphene can be engineered by depositing graphene on corrugated substrates. We discuss several techniques for creating corrugated substrates, focusing on periodic spherical curvature patterns in the form of closely packed nanospheres. We show how the smaller nanospheres induce larger tensile strain in graphene, and explain the microscopic mechanism of this. We also present experimental results demonstrating how a nearly periodic array of underlying nanospheres creates a strain superlattice in graphene, which exhibits mini-band conductance dips and magnetic field effects that depend on the magnitude of induced strain. This control of the strain degree of freedom provides a novel platform both for fundamental studies of 2D electron correlations and for prospective applications in 2D electronic devices.

 

Work supported by NSF under DMR-1720633 (MRSEC) and ENG-1434147, the ARO under W911NF-19-1-0346, and the UIUC Materials Research Lab.