Graphene at the Boundaries – Paul McEuen

Date: Thu. October 31st, 2013, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Location: Rockefeller 301

With its remarkable structural, thermal, mechanical, optical, and electronic properties, graphene is a true interdisciplinary material. In this talk we will discuss experiments where graphene shows its many sides. For example, we will discuss atomic-scale imaging experiments of bilayer graphene that reveal the presence of 1D strain solitons between the layers. These strain solitons have recently been predicted to give rise to topologically protected 1D electronic edge states. We will also present measurements of the bending stiffness of graphene on micron scales. We find that graphene is thousands of times stiffer than predicted by atomic theories, but in good agreement with calculations that take into account the effects of thermal fluctuations on the bending stiffness. We will also discuss experiments where individual nanotubes (graphene tubes) are picked up with micron sized tweezers, and discuss our initial forays into graphene origami.