Stretching changes the electronic properties of graphene

The electronic properties of graphene can be specifically modified by stretching the material evenly, say researchers at the University of Basel. These results open the door to the development of new types of electronic components.

Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The material is very flexible and has excellent electronic properties, making it attractive for numerous applications – electronic components in particular.

Researchers led by Professor Christian Schönenberger at the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Basel have now studied how the material’s electronic properties can be manipulated by mechanical stretching. In order to do this, they developed a kind of rack by which they stretch the atomically thin graphene layer in a controlled manner, while measuring its electronic properties. The distance between the atomic nuclei directly influences the properties of the electronic states in graphene. With uniform stretching, only the electron velocity and energy can change. The energy change is essentially the ‘scalar potential’ predicted by theory, which we have now been able to demonstrate experimentally.

Read more at University of Basel

Image Credit: University of Basel / SNI

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