Graphene nano-flakes weakly coupled to the substrate: atomic structure, electronic states and manipulation

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Mikhail Fonin; Professorin Dr. Beate Paulus; Professorin Dr. Elena Voloshina
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics ; Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis ; Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation ; Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240827410

The goal of the present project is the investigation of novel effects that occur due to the confined electronic states as well as the due to the edge states in graphene nano-flakes which are very weakly coupled to substartes in bulk and at the edges. The physics of such graphene objects is largerly unexplored with a range of theories and novel predictions existing about the local electronic and magnetic properties that are untested so far. In the frame of this project a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy together with the density functional theory calculations will be used to get a better insight into the electronic states, the electron dynamics and magnetic properties of quasi-free-standing graphene nano-flakes. Additionally, lateral maniplulation of graphene flakes by the STM tip will be utilized aiming at the preparation of atomically precise graphene multilayer structures, which local electronic structure will be studied by experimental and theoretical methods.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1459: Graphen