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Gallium nitride nanowire and nanorod substrates are prospective platforms allowing to control the local strain distribution in graphene films on top of them, resulting in an induction of pseudomagnetic fields. AFM measurements performed in a HybriD mode complemented by SEM allow for a detailed visualization of the strain distribution on graphene surface. Graphene in direct contact with supporting regions is tensile strained, while graphene located in-between is characterized by lower strain. Characteristic tensile strained wrinkles also appear in the areas between the supporting regions. A positive correlation between strain gradient and distances between borders of supporting regions is observed. These results are confirmed by analysis of the Raman D’ band intensity, which is affected by an enhancement of intravalley scattering. Furthermore, scanning tunneling spectroscopy shows a local modification of the density of states near the graphene wrinkle and weak localization measurements indicate the enhancement of pseudomagnetic field-induced scattering. Therefore, we show that nanowire and nanorod substrates provide strain engineering and induction of pseudomagnetic fields in graphene. The control of graphene morphology by modification of distances between supporting regions is promising for both further fundamental research and the exploration of innovative ways to fabricate pseudomagnetic field-based devices like sensors or filters.

In this report we investigate structural and electrical properties of epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition quasi-free-standing graphene on an unintentionally-doped homoepitaxial layer grown on a conducting 4H–SiC substrate 4° off-axis from the basal [0001] direction towards [11-20]. Due to high density of SiC vicinal surfaces the deposited graphene is densely stepped and gains unique characteristics. Its morphology is studied with atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Its few-layer character and p-type conductance are deduced from a Raman map and its layers structure determined from a high-resolution X-ray diffraction pattern. Transport properties of the graphene are estimated through Hall effect measurements between 100 and 350 K. The results reveal an unusually low sheet resistance below 100 Ω/sq and high hole concentration of the order of 1015 cm−2. We find that the material's electrical properties resemble those of an epitaxially-grown SiC PIN diode, making it an attractive platform for the semiconductor devices technology.

In this report we demonstrate the results of charge carriers transport studies in graphene using a Hall effect sensor fabricated on quasi-free-standing monolayer graphene grown on a semi-insulating on-axis vanadium-compensated 6H-SiC(0001) substrate in an epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition process. The sensor is passivated with aluminum oxide through atomic layer deposition and offers current-mode sensitivity of 140 V/AT with thermal stability of − 0.02%/K within the range between 80 and 573 K. The electrical properties of the graphene layer are determined as a function of temperature ranging from 300 to 770 K. High-temperature characteristics of passivated and not passivated graphene are compared and their profiles explained through a double-carrier transport involving the spontaneous-polarization-induced holes in the graphene layer and the thermally activated electrons from a shallow donor level of nitrogen in the quasi-cubic (k1) site and a deep acceptor level of vanadium in the hexagonal (h) site both present in the bulk of the vanadium-compensated SiC substrate. Finally, we conclude that this mechanism is directly responsible for the limitation of the thermal stability of the sensor's current-mode sensitivity.

Molecular compounds with photoswitchable magnetic properties have been intensively investigated over the last decades due to their prospective applications in nanoelectronics, sensing and magnetic data storage. The family of copper-nitroxide-based molecular magnets represents a new promising type of photoswitchable compounds. We report the first study of these appealing systems using femtosecond optical spectroscopy. We unveil the mechanism of ultrafast (

We discuss the capacity of ultrafast broadband spectroscopy to become a test bed for investigating dynamics of metals driven far from equilibrium by a femtosecond laser pulse. A controversy in conventional description of the reflectivity of metals is looked upon by means of pump–probe white light set-up.

For a better comprehension of hydrogen intercalation of graphene grown on a silicon carbide substrate, an advanced analytical technique is required. We report that with a carefully established measurement procedure it is possible to obtain a reliable and reproducible depth profile of bi-layer graphene (theoretical thickness of 0.69 nm) grown on the silicon carbide substrate by the Chemical Vapor Deposition method. Furthermore, we show that with depth resolution as good as 0.2 nm/decade, both hydrogen coming from the intercalation process and organic contamination can be precisely localized. As expected, hydrogen was found at the interface between graphene and the SiC substrate, while organic contamination was accumulated on the surface of graphene and did not penetrate into it. Such a precise measurement may prove to be invaluable for further characterization of 2D materials.