On-chip heaters for tension tuning of graphene nanodrums

For the study and application of graphene membranes, it is essential to have means to control their resonance frequency and temperature. Here, we present an on-chip heater platform for local tuning of in-plane tension in graphene mechanical resonators. By Joule heating of a metallic suspension ring we show thermomechanical resonance frequency...

Direct and parametric synchronization of a graphene self-oscillator

Nonlinear dynamic characterization of two-dimensional materials

Owing to their atomic-scale thickness, the resonances of two-dimensional (2D) material membranes show signatures of nonlinearities at forces of only a few picoNewtons. Although the linear dynamics of membranes is well understood, the exact relation between the nonlinear response and the resonator's material properties has remained elusive. Here...

Optomechanics for thermal characterization of suspended graphene

The thermal response of graphene is expected to be extremely fast due to its low heat capacity and high thermal conductivity. In this work, the thermal response of suspended single-layer graphene membranes is investigated by characterization of their mechanical motion in response to a high-frequency modulated laser. A characteristic delay...

Mechanical characterization and cleaning of CVD single-layer h-BN resonators

Hexagonal boron nitride is a 2D material whose single-layer allotrope has not been intensively studied despite being the substrate for graphene electronics. Its transparency and stronger interlayer adhesion with respect to graphene makes it difficult to work with, and few applications have been proposed. We have developed a transfer technique...

Colorimetry Technique for Scalable Characterization of Suspended Graphene

Previous statistical studies on the mechanical properties of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) suspended graphene membranes have been performed by means of measuring individual devices or with techniques that affect the material. Here, we present a colorimetry technique as a parallel, noninvasive, and affordable way of characterizing suspended...

Graphene gas osmometers

We show that graphene membranes that separate two gases at identical pressure are deflected by osmotic pressure. The osmotic pressure is a consequence of differences in gas permeation rates into a few-layer graphene enclosed cavity. The deflection of the membrane is detected by measuring the tension-induced resonance frequency with an...

Visualizing the Motion of Graphene Nanodrums

Membranes of suspended two-dimensional materials show a large variability in mechanical properties, in part due to static and dynamic wrinkles. As a consequence, experiments typically show a multitude of nanomechanical resonance peaks, which make an unambiguous identification of the vibrational modes difficult. Here, we probe the motion of...