Graphene-Based Nanodynamometer

Abstract

A new concept of an electromechanical nanodynamometer based on the relative displacement of layers of bilayer graphene is proposed. In this nanodynamometer, force acting on one of the graphene layers causes the relative displacement of this layer and related change of conductance between the layers. Such a force can be determined by measurements of the tunneling conductance between the layers. Dependences of the interlayer interaction energy and the conductance between the graphene layers on their relative position are calculated within the first-principles approach corrected for van der Waals interactions and the Bardeen method, respectively. The characteristics of the nanodynamometer are determined and its possible applications are discussed.

AA stacking, tribological and electronic properties of double-layer graphene with krypton spacer

“…4(c) and 4(d), respectively. It is seen that the tunneling conductance between the graphene layers strongly depends on their relative position at the subnanometer scale, similar to the results obtained previously for bilayer graphene 40 and for double-walled carbon nanotubes. [77][78][79] In the both considered systems, the tunneling conductance reaches its maximum for the AA stacking, in which atoms of the graphene layers are located at the smallest distances to each other, while the minima of the tunneling conductance correspond to the SP stacking.…”

Comparison of performance of van der Waals-corrected exchange-correlation functionals for interlayer interaction in graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

“…Dynamic phenomena based on relative motion of the layers include atomic-scale slip-stick motion of a flake attached to a STM tip [14][15][16], rotation-assisted diffusion and drift of a flake [17,18] and self-retracting motion of the layers at their telescopic extension [19,20]. Based on the link between the relative position of the layers and their electronic properties [21][22][23] various types of nanosensors [23][24][25][26][27] can be elaborated. Quantitative description of all of these phenomena and devices depends on the characteristics of the potential surface energy of interlayer interaction, i.e.…”

Tunneling conductance of telescopic contacts between graphene layers with and without dielectric spacer

“…The calculations show that the electronic structure of twisted bilayer graphene strongly depends on the twist angle [8]. The tunneling conductance of bilayer graphene can be modified by an order of magnitude upon atomic-scale in-plane relative displacement [7,9] or rotation [9] of the layers, similar to c-axis conductivity of graphite [10]. Significant variations in the band gap of bilayer graphene nanoribbons upon atomic-scale in-plane relative displacement of their layers are found using density functional theory (DFT) calculations [11,12].…”

“…The conductance between neighbor graphene layers has been addressed in a number of works [7][8][9][10]. The calculations show that the electronic structure of twisted bilayer graphene strongly depends on the twist angle [8].…”

“…Fast mechanical response of such devices can be predicted from low Q-factor values obtained for relative vibrations [28,29] and self-retracting motion of graphene layers [29,30] observed experimentally [31]. Schemes and operational principles of a set of NEMS based on relative motion and interaction of graphene layers have been considered [7,[11][12][13]29,[32][33][34][35]. It is worth mentioning a nanorelay [29] and inertial sensor [32] based on telescopic motion of graphene layers [29], memory cells based on motion of a graphene flake on a graphene layer [33,34], nanoelectromechanical switches based on changes of the distance between graphene layers [35] and in-plane relative displacement of layers [11], various nanosensors based on measurements of conductance changes at the in-plane relative displacement of layers of bilayer graphene [7,[11][12][13]35].…”