Thursday,
September 25, 2008 - 4:00 P.M., NSH 184
Graphene, an 1-atom thick 2D crystal of carbon atoms, has caused quite a stir (and interest!) in the science and engineering community since its isolation in 2004. The behavior of electrons in 2D graphene is rather unconventional as compared to ordinary crystals - their energies are linearly dependent on momentum, a characteristic of photons rather than electrons. A number of important properties emerge as a result - such as excellent transport, ideal 2D electrostatics, a high current-carrying capacity, and a distinct possibility of 'electron optics' within a nanoscale material. When graphene sheets are patterned into nanometer-wide ribbons, controlled bandgaps can be opened in the ordinarily zero-gap material. Bandgap engineering of graphene nanoribbons opens possibilities for nanoscale transistors that have the potential to beat classical performance limits of traditional transistors by using the tunneling mode of transport, instead of thermionic emission. In the seminar, I will present the results of our recent experimental and theoretical work on graphene, using the 'historical' development (over the last 4 years) as a backdrop.