Graphene discovery could be vital to future nanotechnology

The team of scientists observed the surface of graphene sheets and found a series of ridges on the material that it believes could help it further exploit the potential of graphene and develop the understanding of superconductivity.

Graphitic materials have an electronic structure that can be readily manipulated through electrostatic or chemical doping, resulting in a rich variety of electronic states.

In an experiment, calcium intercalated superconductor (CaC₆) was heavily doped with electrons and observed with scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Chris Howard, one of the lead investigators on the project and a researcher at LCN, said: ‘At the time we were looking more generally at a graphite intercalation compound and not really from the point of view of graphene. We were trying to understand this material because it superconducts.’

Howard said he and his team did not expect to see a set of striking one-dimensional electronic waves. After some electronic structure measurements, the group was able to conclude that they were looking at ‘charged density waves’.