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Register a new userIn-situ strain tuning in hBN-encapsulated graphene electronic devices
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Using a simple setup to bend a flexible substrate, we demonstrate deterministic and reproducible in-situ strain tuning of graphene electronic devices. Central to this method is the full hBN encapsulation of graphene, which preserves the exceptional quality of pristine graphene for transport experiments. In addition, the on-substrate approach allows one to exploit strain effects in the full range of possible sample geometries and at the same time guarantees that changes in the gate capacitance remain negligible during the deformation process. We use Raman spectroscopy to spatially map the strain magnitude in devices with two different geometries and demonstrate the possibility to engineer a strain gradient, which is relevant for accessing the valley degree of freedom with pseudo-magnetic fields. Comparing the transport characteristics of a suspended device with those of an on-substrate device, we demonstrate that our new approach does not suffer from the ambiguities encountered in suspended devices.
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The observation of novel physical phenomena such as Hofstadters butterfly, topological currents and unconventional superconductivity in graphene have been enabled by the replacement of SiO$_2$ with hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) as a substrate and by the ability to form superlattices in graphene/hBN heterostructures. These devices are commonly made by etching the graphene into a Hall-bar shape with metal contacts. The deposition of metal electrodes, the design and specific configuration of contacts can have profound effects on the electronic properties of the devices possibly even affecting the alignment of graphene/hBN superlattices. In this work we probe the strain configuration of graphene on hBN contacted with two types of metal contacts, two-dimensional (2D) top-contacts and one-dimensional (1D) edge-contacts. We show that top-contacts induce strain in the graphene layer along two opposing leads, leading to a complex strain pattern across the device channel. Edge-contacts, on the contrary, do not show such strain pattern. A finite-elements modelling simulation is used to confirm that the observed strain pattern is generated by the mechanical action of the metal contacts clamped to the graphene. Thermal annealing is shown to reduce the overall doping whilst increasing the overall strain, indicating and increased interaction between graphene and hBN. Surprisingly, we find that the two contacts configurations lead to different twist-angles in graphene/hBN superlattices, which converge to the same value after thermal annealing. This observation confirms the self-locking mechanism of graphene/hBN superlattices also in the presence of strain gradients. Our experiments may have profound implications in the development of future electronic devices based on heterostructures and provide a new mechanism to induce complex strain patterns in 2D materials.
We investigate the zero-bias behavior of Josephson junctions made of encapsulated graphene boron nitride heterostructures in the long ballistic junction regime. For temperatures down to 2.7K, the junctions appear non-hysteretic with respect to the switching and retrapping currents $I_C$ and $I_R$. A small non-zero resistance is observed even around zero bias current, and scales with temperature as dictated by the phase diffusion mechanism. By varying the graphene carrier concentration we are able to confirm that the observed phase diffusion mechanism follows the trend for an overdamped Josephson junction. This is in contrast with the majority of graphene-based junctions which are underdamped and shorted by the environment at high frequencies.
We report a proof-of-concept study of extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) in devices of monolayer graphene encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride, having metallic edge contacts and a central metal shunt. Extremely large EMR values, $MR=(R(B) - R_0) / R_0sim 10^5$, are achieved in part because $R_0$ approaches or crosses zero as a function of the gate voltage, exceeding that achieved in high mobility bulk semiconductor devices. We highlight the sensitivity, $dR/dB$, which in two-terminal measurements is the highest yet reported for EMR devices, and in particular exceeds prior results in graphene-based devices by a factor of 20. An asymmetry in the zero-field transport is traced to the presence of $pn$-junctions at the graphene-metal shunt interface.
The excellent electronic and mechanical properties of graphene allow it to sustain very large currents, enabling its incandescence through Joule heating in suspended devices. Although interesting scientifically and promising technologically, this process is unattainable in ambient environment, because graphene quickly oxidises at high temperatures. Here, we take the performance of graphene-based incandescent devices to the next level by encapsulating graphene with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Remarkably, we found that the hBN encapsulation provides an excellent protection for hot graphene filaments even at temperatures well above 2000 K. Unrivalled oxidation resistance of hBN combined with atomically clean graphene/hBN interface allows for a stable light emission from our devices in atmosphere for many hours of continuous operation. Furthermore, when confined in a simple photonic cavity, the thermal emission spectrum is modified by a cavity mode, shifting the emission to the visible range spectrum. We believe our results demonstrate that hBN/graphene heterostructures can be used to conveniently explore the technologically important high-temperature regime and to pave the way for future optoelectronic applications of graphene-based systems.
The structural flexibility of low dimensional nanomaterials offers unique opportunities for studying the impact of strain on their physical properties and for developing innovative devices utilizing strain engineering. A key towards such goals is a device platform which allows the independent tuning and reliable calibration of the strain. Here we report the fabrication and characterization of graphene nanoelectromechanical resonators(GNEMRs) on flexible substrates. Combining substrate bending and electrostatic gating, we achieve the independent tuning of the strain and sagging in graphene and explore the nonlinear dynamics over a wide parameter space. Analytical and numerical studies of a continuum mechanics model, including the competing higher order nonlinear terms, reveal a comprehensive nonlinear dynamics phase diagram, which quantitatively explains the complex behaviors of GNEMRs.
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