Vikram Deshpande, Columbia University

Topic: "Playing the atomically-thin drum: Mechanics as an ultra-sensitive thermodynamic probe"  (Video)

Abstract: Graphene, a one-atom-thick carbon sheet, has attracted much attention due to its intriguing electronic and superior mechanical properties. Electrons in graphene are relativistic and, in a perpendicular magnetic field, can carry fractional charges, multiple spins and may even obey a new type of quantum statistics. Graphene is also the strongest material measured to date and mechanical resonators (vibrating sheets or drums) made from this material display superior performance desirable for many applications. I will talk about our recent experiments using graphene mechanical resonators to probe its electronic effects. In a perpendicular magnetic field, we find that mechanics sensitively measures thermodynamic quantities such as chemical potential, electronic compressibility and magnetization. I will describe our use of this new tool to measure some of the above exotic electronic effects. I will conclude by presenting the prospects of using electro-opto-mechanical tools to study interesting electronic effects in a variety of atomically-thin materials.