Scientific Achievement
A non-invasive method that combines strain measurements from Raman Spectroscopy and interferometry measures the crumpling strength and nonlinear mechanical response of 2D materials.
Significance and Impact
The high stiffness of graphene is universally assumed in most experiments. This work shows this is not true in general, and a new experimental approach to carefully measure the mechanical properties of graphene is introduced.
Research Details
-Freestanding graphene membranes are stressed via the application of gas pressure.
-The strain state is monitored with interferometric profilometry and Raman spectroscopy, revealing a nonlinear response that depends on the amount of crumpling.
R. J. T. Nicholl, N. V. Lavrik, I. Vlassiouk, B. R. Srijanto, K. I. Bolotin, “Hidden Area and Mechanical Nonlinearities in Freestanding Graphene," Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 266101 (2017). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.266101
