Gabriel Ruiz

PREM Undergraduate Intern

Major: Physics
Mentors: Ben Xie, Professor Chenhao Jin

ALTERATION OF GRAPHENE IN VAN DER WAALS HETEROSTRUCTURES

The main objective of our research is primarily due to the required scientific exploration in the interesting properties of a two-dimensional material called graphene. In order to achieve our goals, we want to induce a flat band gap at graphene in order to maintain a nice platform that allows a study correlating physics. When graphene is combined with other materials in van der Waals heterostructures, we can potentially tune its band flatness, which decreases the electron kinetic energy and allows us to observe and study various correlation phenomena. Using Van der Waals heterostructures as a methodology for the measurement and alteration of graphene, requires atomically homogeneous material to build it. We normally obtain them through mechanical exfoliation then search for it under a microscope. However, it is complicated to characterize the exact thickness of these materials optically. The precise structuring of heterostructures plays an important role since it allows the existence of fragile physics. With this problem we looked for a solution by creating a program code. We seek to indicate through saturation comparisons between the different layers of HBN (a dielectric material required for these structures) and Graphene, an excellent candidate for the heterostructure system. The code has been polished and altered to generate more efficiency towards the search for homogenous layers. These advances in effectiveness and efficiency at work generate space and speed to continue with the work and find new and interesting results about the enigmas and applications that graphene can bring with it.