Graphene stacking discovery might herald new period for quantum purposes

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms organized in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, is thought for its distinctive properties: unbelievable energy (about 200 instances stronger than metal), gentle weight, flexibility, and wonderful conduction of electrical energy and warmth. These properties have made graphene more and more vital in purposes throughout numerous fields, together with electronics, vitality storage, medical know-how, and, most lately, quantum computing.

Graphene’s quantum properties, equivalent to superconductivity and different distinctive quantum behaviors, are recognized to come up when graphene atomic layers are stacked and twisted with precision to supply “ABC stacking domains.” Historically, attaining ABC stacking domains required exfoliating graphene and manually twisting and aligning layers with actual orientations—a extremely intricate course of that’s troublesome to scale for industrial purposes.

Now, researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering led by Elisa Riedo, Herman F. Mark Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, have uncovered a brand new phenomenon in graphene analysis, observing growth-induced self-organized ABA and ABC stacking domains that might kick-start the event of superior quantum applied sciences.

The findings, revealed in a latest examine within the Proceedings of the National Academy Of Sciences , show how particular stacking preparations in three-layer epitaxial graphene methods emerge naturally—eliminating the necessity for advanced, non-scalable methods historically utilized in graphene twisting fabrication.

These researchers, together with Martin Rejhon, beforehand a post-doctoral fellow at NYU, have now noticed the self-assembly of ABA and ABC domains inside a three-layer epitaxial graphene system grown on silicon carbide (SiC). Using superior conductive atomic pressure microscopy (AFM), the crew discovered that these domains kind naturally with out the necessity for handbook twisting or alignment. This spontaneous group represents a big step ahead in graphene stacking domains fabrication.

The dimension and form of those stacking domains are influenced by the interaction of pressure and the geometry of the three-layer graphene areas. Some domains kind as stripe-like buildings, tens of nanometers broad and lengthening over microns, providing promising potential for future purposes.

“In the longer term we might management the scale and site of those stacking patterns by pregrowth patterning of the SiC substrate,” Riedo stated.

These self-assembled ABA/ABC stacking domains might result in transformative purposes in quantum units. Their stripe-shaped configurations, for instance, are well-suited for enabling unconventional quantum Hall results, superconductivity, and cost density waves. Such breakthroughs pave the way in which for scalable digital units leveraging graphene’s quantum properties.

This discovery marks a significant leap in graphene analysis, bringing scientists nearer to realizing the complete potential of this outstanding materials in next-generation electronics and quantum applied sciences.