Graphene and boron nitride molecular hybrid electrical devices

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The focus of study will be heterostructures formed by boron nitride and graphene which are grown using a newly installed molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. The PhD student will initially focus on the understanding of graphene growth on a variety of substrates using, primarily, high resolution ambient atomic force microscopy with additional opportunities for sample characterisation using Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Graphene grown using the new MBE system will be used for a series of experiments, for example using epitaxial tunnel devices in which a boron nitride (BN) barrier is grown between two graphene layers. There will also be the opportunity to investigate molecular hybrid devices. A simple approach will be to investigate the bridging of gaps in graphene on the 1-10 nm scale by single molecules and polymer strands including strongly emitting dye molecules such as porphyrins. These devices will be investigated using electrical measurements, including at low temperature, and electroluminescence spectroscopy. The student will also be encouraged to explore related topics such as scanning tunnelling microscopy and low temperature atomic force microscopy.