Levitated Spinning Graphene

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method for levitating and optically manipulating micron-sized graphene flakes in a quadrupole ion trap, enabling high-frequency rotation and potential applications in material property measurement and graphene processing.

Contribution

It introduces a new technique for levitating and rotating graphene flakes using ion trapping and optical methods, opening avenues for fundamental studies and material manipulation.

Findings

Graphene flakes can be levitated in a quadrupole ion trap.

Circularly polarized light induces rotation at >1 MHz.

Resonant electric fields modulate light scattering, revealing rotation rates.

Abstract

A method is described for levitating micron-sized few layer graphene flakes in a quadrupole ion trap. Starting from a liquid suspension containing graphene, charged flakes are injected into the trap using the electrospray ionization technique and are probed optically. At micro-torr pressures, torques from circularly polarized light cause the levitated particles to rotate at frequencies >1 MHz, which can be inferred from modulation of light scattering off the rotating flake when an electric field resonant with the rotation rate is applied. Possible applications of these techniques will be presented, both to fundamental measurements of the mechanical and electronic properties of graphene and to new approaches to graphene crystal growth, modification and manipulation.