arXiv subjects

Paul L. McEuen

Publications and source records attributed to Paul L. McEuen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Multistable energy landscapes for adaptive microscopic machines

The past few years have seen great strides in our ability to build synthetic microscopic machines. However, the function of such machines is often controlled directly by externally applied fields that deterministically specify the instantaneous machine dynamics. A crucial step towards machines that can respond adaptively to changes in their environment is the ability to program multiple functions that actuate under the same external driving field, so that their internal state dictates which function is executed. Here, we demonstrate that energy landscapes with designed multistability enable the same externally applied field to drive multiple configurations and dynamic responses in microscopic machines, enabling increasing levels of autonomy. We show three examples. First, we write a bistable energy landscape into a microscopic device, enabling the device to exhibit two stable mechanical configurations under the same external magnetic field. Next, adding a second degree of freedom enables differing dynamic responses to the same external magnetic field, which we direct into net displacement of the environment. Finally, we demonstrate how a microscopic machine with a continuous symmetry autonomously channels a single degree-of-freedom magnetic actuation into locomotion and adaptively responds to forces induced by other machines.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

BLAST: A Wafer-scale Transfer Process for Heterogeneous Integration of Optics and Electronics

We present a general transfer method for the heterogeneous integration of different photonic and electronic materials systems and devices onto a single substrate. Called BLAST, for Bond, Lift, Align, and Slide Transfer, the process works at wafer scale and offers precision alignment, high yield, varying topographies, and suitability for subsequent lithographic processing. We demonstrate BLAST's capabilities by integrating both GaAs and GaN microLEDs with silicon photovoltaics to fabricate optical wireless integrated circuits that up-convert photons from the red to the blue. We also show that BLAST can be applied to a variety of other devices and substrates, including CMOS electronics, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), and 2D materials. BLAST further enables the modularization of optoelectronic microsystems, where optical devices fabricated on one material substrate can be lithographically integrated with electronic devices on a different substrate in a scalable process.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Dissipation-enabled hydrodynamic conductivity in a tunable bandgap semiconductor

Electronic transport in the regime where carrier-carrier collisions are the dominant scattering mechanism has taken on new relevance with the advent of ultraclean two-dimensional materials. Here we present a combined theoretical and experimental study of ambipolar hydrodynamic transport in bilayer graphene demonstrating that the conductivity is given by the sum of two Drude-like terms that describe relative motion between electrons and holes, and the collective motion of the electron-hole plasma. As predicted, the measured conductivity of gapless, charge-neutral bilayer graphene is sample- and temperature-independent over a wide range. Away from neutrality, the electron-hole conductivity collapses to a single curve, and a set of just four fitting parameters provides quantitative agreement between theory and experiment at all densities, temperatures, and gaps measured. This work validates recent theories for dissipation-enabled hydrodynamic conductivity and creates a link between semiconductor physics and the emerging field of viscous electronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Accurate Measurement of the Gap of Graphene/hBN Moiré Superlattice through Photocurrent Spectroscopy

Monolayer graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) develops a gap at the charge neutrality point (CNP). This gap has previously been extensively studied by electrical transport through thermal activation measurements. Here, we report the determination of the gap size at the CNP of graphene/hBN superlattice through photocurrent spectroscopy study. We demonstrate two distinct measurement approaches to extract the gap size. A maximum of ~ 14 meV gap is observed for devices with a twist angle of less than 1 degree. This value is significantly smaller than that obtained from thermal activation measurements, yet larger than the theoretically predicted single-particle gap. Our results suggest that lattice relaxation and moderate electron-electron interaction effects may enhance the CNP gap in hBN/graphene superlattice.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Bidirectional Self-Folding with Atomic Layer Deposition Nanofilms for Microscale Origami

Origami design principles are scale invariant and enable direct miniaturization of origami structures provided the sheets used for folding have equal thickness to length ratios. Recently, seminal steps have been taken to fabricate microscale origami using unidirectionally actuated sheets with nanoscale thickness. Here, we extend the full power of origami-inspired fabrication to nanoscale sheets by engineering bidirectional folding with 4 nm thick atomic layer deposition (ALD) SiNx-SiO2 bilayer films. Strain differentials within these bilayers result in bending, producing microscopic radii of curvature. We lithographically pattern these bilayers and localize the bending using rigid panels to fabricate a variety of complex micro-origami devices. Upon release, these devices self-fold according to prescribed patterns. Our approach combines planar semiconductor microfabrication methods with computerized origami design, making it easy to fabricate and deploy such microstructures en masse. These devices represent an important step forward in the fabrication and assembly of deployable micromechanical systems that can interact with and manipulate micro- and nanoscale environments.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2019

Gate-Tunable Graphene Hall Sensors with High Magnetic Field Sensitivity

Solid-state magnetic field sensors are important to both modern electronics and fundamental materials science. Many types of these sensors maintain high sensitivity only in a limited range of temperature and background magnetic field, but Hall-effect sensors are in principle able to operate over a broad range of these conditions. Here, we fabricate and characterize micrometer-scale graphene Hall sensors demonstrating high magnetic field sensitivity from liquid-helium to room temperature and in background magnetic field up to several Tesla. By tuning the charge carrier density with an electrostatic gate, we optimize the magnetic field sensitivity for different working conditions. From measurements of the Hall coefficient and the Hall voltage noise at 1 kHz, we estimate an optimum magnetic field sensitivity of 80 nT Hz$^{-1/2}$ at 4.2 K, 700 nT Hz$^{-1/2}$ at room temperature, and 3 $μ$T Hz$^{-1/2}$ in 3 T background magnetic field at 4.2 K. Our devices perform competitively with the best existing Hall sensor technologies at room temperature, outperform any Hall sensors reported in the literature at 4.2 K, and demonstrate high sensitivity for the first time in a few Tesla applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Coupling of Plasmon Modes in Graphene Microstructures

A variety of different graphene plasmonic structures and devices have been proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Plasmon modes in graphene microstructures interact strongly via the depolarization fields. An accurate quantitative description of the coupling between plasmon modes is required for designing and understanding complex plasmonic devices. Drawing inspiration from microphotonics, we present a coupled-mode theory for graphene plasmonics in which the plasmon eigenmodes of a coupled system are expressed in terms of the plasmon eigenmodes of its uncoupled sub-systems. The coupled-mode theory enables accurate computation of the coupling between the plasmon modes and of the resulting dynamics. We compare theory with experiments performed on the plasmon modes in coupled arrays of graphene strips. In experiments, we tune the coupling by changing the spacing between the graphene strips in the array. Our results show that the coupling parameters obtained from the coupled-mode theory and the plasmon frequency changes resulting from this coupling agree very well with experiments. The work presented here provides a framework for designing and understanding coupled graphene plasmonic structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

The Valley Hall Effect in MoS2 Transistors

Electrons in 2-dimensional crystals with a honeycomb lattice structure possess a new valley degree of freedom (DOF) in addition to charge and spin. Each valley is predicted to exhibit a Hall effect in the absence of a magnetic field whose sign depends on the valley index, but to date this effect has not been observed. Here we report the first observation of this new valley Hall effect (VHE). Monolayer MoS2 transistors are illuminated by circularly polarized light which preferentially excites electrons into a specific valley, and a finite anomalous Hall voltage is observed whose sign is controlled by the helicity of the light. Its magnitude is consistent with theoretical predictions of the VHE, and no anomalous Hall effect is observed in bilayer devices due to the restoration of crystal inversion symmetry. Our observation of the VHE opens up new possibilities for using the valley DOF as an information carrier in next-generation electronics and optoelectronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Transient absorption and photocurrent microscopy show hot electron supercollisions describe the rate-limiting relaxation step in graphene

Using transient absorption (TA) microscopy as a hot electron thermometer we show disorder-assisted acoustic-phonon supercollisions (SCs) best describes the rate-limiting relaxation step in graphene over a wide range of lattice temperatures ($T_l=$5-300 K), Fermi energies ($E_F=\pm0.35$ eV), and optical probe energies (~0.3 - 1.1 eV). Comparison with simultaneously collected transient photocurrent, an independent hot electron thermometer, confirms the rate-limiting optical and electrical response in graphene are best described by the SC-heat dissipation rate model, $H=A(T^3_e- T^3_l)$. Our data further shows the electron cooling rate in substrate supported graphene is twice as fast as in suspended graphene sheets, consistent with SC-model prediction for disorder.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Strain Solitons and Topological Defects in Bilayer Graphene

Spontaneous symmetry-breaking, where the ground state of a system has lower symmetry than the underlying Hamiltonian, is ubiquitous in physics. It leads to multiply-degenerate ground states, each with a different "broken" symmetry labeled by an order parameter. The variation of this order parameter in space leads to soliton-like features at the boundaries of different broken-symmetry regions and also to topological point defects. Bilayer graphene is a fascinating realization of this physics, with an order parameter given by its interlayer stacking coordinate. Bilayer graphene has been a subject of intense study because in the presence of a perpendicular electric field, a band gap appears in its electronic spectrum [1-3] through a mechanism that is intimately tied to its broken symmetry. Theorists have further proposed that novel electronic states exist at the boundaries between broken-symmetry stacking domains [4-5]. However, very little is known about the structural properties of these boundaries. Here we use electron microscopy to measure with nanoscale and atomic resolution the widths, motion, and topological structure of soliton boundaries and topological defects in bilayer graphene. We find that each soliton consists of an atomic-scale registry shift between the two graphene layers occurring over 6-11 nm. We infer the minimal energy barrier to interlayer translation and observe soliton motion during in-situ heating above 1000 °C. The abundance of these structures across a variety samples, as well as their unusual properties, suggests that they will have substantial effects on the electronic and mechanical properties of bilayer graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Confined Plasmons in Graphene Microstructures: Experiments and Theory

Graphene, a two-dimensional material with a high mobility and a tunable conductivity, is uniquely suited for plasmonics. The frequency dispersion of plasmons in bulk graphene has been studied both theoretically and experimentally, whereas no theoretical models have been reported and tested against experiments for confined plasmon modes in graphene microstructures. In this paper, we present experimental measurements as well as analytical and computational models for such confined modes. We compare experimental measurements with theory for plasmon modes in interacting arrays of graphene strips and demonstrate a good agreement. The comparison between experimental and theoretical results reveals the important role played by interaction among the plasmon modes of neighboring graphene structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Photocurrent measurements of supercollision cooling in graphene

The cooling of hot electrons in graphene is the critical process underlying the operation of exciting new graphene-based optoelectronic and plasmonic devices, but the nature of this cooling is controversial. We extract the hot electron cooling rate near the Fermi level by using graphene as novel photothermal thermometer that measures the electron temperature ($T(t)$) as it cools dynamically. We find the photocurrent generated from graphene $p-n$ junctions is well described by the energy dissipation rate $C dT/dt=-A(T^3-T_l^3)$, where the heat capacity is $C=αT$ and $T_l$ is the base lattice temperature. These results are in disagreement with predictions of electron-phonon emission in a disorder-free graphene system, but in excellent quantitative agreement with recent predictions of a disorder-enhanced supercollision (SC) cooling mechanism. We find that the SC model provides a complete and unified picture of energy loss near the Fermi level over the wide range of electronic (15 to $\sim$3000 K) and lattice (10 to 295 K) temperatures investigated.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Synchronization of Micromechanical Oscillators Using Light

Synchronization, the emergence of spontaneous order in coupled systems, is of fundamental importance in both physical and biological systems. We demonstrate the synchronization of two dissimilar silicon nitride micromechanical oscillators, that are spaced apart by a few hundred nanometers and are coupled through optical radiation field. The tunability of the optical coupling between the oscillators enables one to externally control the dynamics and switch between coupled and individual oscillation states. These results pave a path towards reconfigurable massive synchronized oscillator networks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2011

Entropic Spectral Broadening in Carbon Nanotube Resonators

We simulated the behavior of suspended carbon-nanotube (CNT) resonators over a broad range of temperatures to address the unexplained spectral broadening and frequency shifts seen in experiments. We find that thermal fluctuations induce strong coupling between resonance modes. This effect leads to spectral fluctuations which readily account for the experimentally observed quality factors $Q\sim100$ at $300\ K$. Using a mean field approach to describe entropic fluctuations we analytically calculate $Q$ and frequency shifts in tensioned and buckled CNTs and find excellent agreement with simulations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Ultrafast photocurrent measurement of the escape time of electrons and holes from carbon nanotube PN junction photodiodes

Ultrafast photocurrent measurements are performed on individual carbon nanotube PN junction photodiodes. The photocurrent response to sub-picosecond pulses separated by a variable time delay Δt shows strong photocurrent suppression when two pulses overlap (Δt = 0). The picosecond-scale decay time of photocurrent suppression scales inversely with the applied bias VSD, and is twice as long for photon energy above the second subband E22 as compared to lower energy. The observed photocurrent behavior is well described by an escape time model that accounts for carrier effective mass.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Imaging Grains and Grain Boundaries in Single-Layer Graphene: An Atomic Patchwork Quilt

The properties of polycrystalline materials are often dominated by the size of their grains and by the atomic structure of their grain boundaries. These effects should be especially pronounced in 2D materials, where even a line defect can divide and disrupt a crystal. These issues take on practical significance in graphene, a hexagonal two-dimensional crystal of carbon atoms; Single-atom-thick graphene sheets can now be produced by chemical vapor deposition on up to meter scales, making their polycrystallinity almost unavoidable. Theoretically, graphene grain boundaries are predicted to have distinct electronic, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical properties which strongly depend on their atomic arrangement. Yet, because of the five-order-of-magnitude size difference between grains and the atoms at grain boundaries, few experiments have fully explored the graphene grain structure. Here, we use a combination of old and new transmission electron microscope techniques to bridge these length scales. Using atomic-resolution imaging, we determine the location and identity of every atom at a grain boundary and find that different grains stitch together predominantly via pentagon-heptagon pairs. We then use diffraction-filtered imaging to rapidly map the location, orientation, and shape of several hundred grains and boundaries, where only a handful have been previously reported. The resulting images reveal an unexpectedly small and intricate patchwork of grains connected by tilt boundaries. By correlating grain imaging with scanned probe measurements, we show that these grain boundaries dramatically weaken the mechanical strength of graphene membranes, but do not measurably alter their electrical properties. These techniques open a new window for studies on the structure, properties, and control of grains and grain boundaries in graphene and other 2D materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2009

Photo-Thermoelectric Effect at a Graphene Interface Junction

We investigate the optoelectronic response of a graphene interface junction, formed with bilayer and single-layer graphene, by photocurrent (PC) microscopy. We measure the polarity and amplitude of the PC while varying the Fermi level by tuning a gate voltage. These measurements show that the generation of PC is by a photo-thermoelectric effect. The PC displays a factor of ~10 increase at the cryogenic temperature as compared to room temperature. Assuming the thermoelectric power has a linear dependence on the temperature, the inferred graphene thermal conductivity from temperature dependent measurements has a T^{1.5} dependence below ~100 K, which agrees with recent theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2009

Thermal Probing of Energy Dissipation in Current-Carrying Carbon Nanotubes

The temperature distributions in current-carrying carbon nanotubes have been measured with a scanning thermal microscope. The obtained temperature profiles reveal diffusive and dissipative electron transport in multi-walled nanotubes and in single-walled nanotubes when the voltage bias was higher than the 0.1-0.2 eV optical phonon energy. Over ninety percent of the Joule heat in a multi-walled nanotube was found to be conducted along the nanotube to the two metal contacts. In comparison, about eighty percent of the Joule heat was transferred directly across the nanotube-substrate interface for single-walled nanotubes. The average temperature rise in the nanotubes is determined to be in the range of 5 to 42 K per micro watt Joule heat dissipation in the nanotubes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗