Graphene origami makes exotic material states more accessible
Researchers developed a graphene origami method using a polymer micro-tip to fold and twist graphene on silicon dioxide substrates, producing controlled stacking and twist-angle configurations from a single sample. The technique offers a more stable and cost-effective alternative to tear-and-stack fabrication for accessing quantum states in twisted few-layer graphene, which is relevant to graphene-based materials research.
Researchers have developed an origami-based method to enhance the stability and controllability of twisted few-layer graphene, a material known for its potential in creating quantum states like superconductivity and magnetism. Traditional tear-and-stack fabrication methods often disrupt the stacking of graphene layers, leading to instability in these quantum states. The new technique, introduced by Zou et al., allows for various stacking and twisting configurations from a single graphene sample. This is achieved using a polymer micro-tip with a micrometer-scale graphite point to fold and twist graphene on silicon dioxide substrates, enabling a range of layer numbers, configurations, and twist angles at a lower cost.
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