Slashdot Mirror


Laser Light Forges Graphene Into the Third Dimension (newatlas.com)

Big Hairy Ian quotes New Atlas: The wonder material graphene gets many of its handy quirks from the fact that it exists in two dimensions, as a sheet of carbon only one atom thick. But to actually make use of it in practical applications, it usually needs to be converted into a 3D form. Now, researchers have developed a new and relatively simple way to do just that, using lasers to 'forge' a three-dimensional pyramid out of graphene...

By focusing a laser onto a fine point on a 2D graphene lattice, the graphene at that spot is irradiated and bulges outwards. A variety of three-dimensional shapes can be made by writing patterns with the laser spot, with the height of the shape controlled by adjusting the irradiation dose at each particular point. The team illustrated that technique by deforming a sheet of graphene into a 3D pyramid, standing 60 nm high. That sounds pretty tiny, but it's 200 times taller than the graphene sheet itself.

"The beauty of the technique is that it's fast and easy to use," says one of the researchers. "It doesn't require any additional chemicals or processing."

5 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Atoms are 3D by ls671 · · Score: 2

    The wonder material graphene gets many of its handy quirks from the fact that it exists in two dimensions, as a sheet of carbon only one atom thick.

    Atoms are 3 dimensional, so no!

    --
    Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    1. Re:Atoms are 3D by ls671 · · Score: 2

      They must be really special atoms since protons are 3D with a Charge radius of 0.8751(61) fm

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      2 dimensional atoms made with 3D protons, this gets interesting!

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    2. Re:Atoms are 3D by NEDHead · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just give it time...

  2. Re:Question by hord · · Score: 2

    Yes. The energy of a photon can interact with matter in multiple ways. One way is that its energy is absorbed by an atom via momentum.

  3. Re:nonsense on so many levels by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Can you please provide examples? The truth is, graphene was touted to be the wonder material of the future and, ten years later, it seems to remain the wonder material of the future. Examples that it is the wonder material of today would be most welcome.