Actuation and mapping of SAW-induced high-frequency wavefields on suspended graphene membranes

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a universal high-frequency actuation method using surface acoustic waves to excite and map vibrations in suspended graphene membranes, revealing nonlinear dispersion and enabling nanoscale acoustic manipulation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel on-chip SAW-based actuation technique for all 2D membranes, combined with AFAM imaging to study high-frequency wave transport at the nanoscale.

Findings

SAWs can efficiently actuate suspended graphene at 375 MHz.

Wavelength reduces from 10 μm to ~2 μm on suspension.

Phase velocity varies from ~160 m/s to ~700 m/s with frequency.

Abstract

High frequency acoustic devices based on two-dimensional (2D) materials are unique platforms to design and manipulate the spatiotemporal response of acoustic waves for next-generation sensing and contactless actuation applications. Conventional methods for actuating suspended membranes, however, cannot be applied to all 2D materials, or are limited in frequency. There is, therefore, a need for a universal high-frequency, on-chip actuation technique that can be applied to all types of membranes. Here, we demonstrate that surface acoustic waves (SAWs) can be used to efficiently actuate suspended 2D materials by exciting suspended graphene membranes with high-frequency (375 MHz) Rayleigh surface waves and mapping the resulting vibration field with atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM). Acoustic waves travelling from supported to suspended graphene experience a reduction in acoustic wavelength from 10 \mu m to ~2 \mu um due to the decrease in effective bending rigidity, leading to a decrease in wave velocity on suspended graphene. By varying the excitation frequency, we observed a change in phase velocity from ~160 m/s to ~700 m/s. This behavior is consistent with the nonlinear dispersion of acoustic waves, as predicted by plate theory, in suspended graphene membranes. The geometry and bending rigidity of the membrane thus play key roles in modulating the acoustic wave pattern and wavelength. This combined SAW actuation and AFAM visualization scheme can give new insights into the fundamentals of acoustic transport at the nanoscale limit and provides a route towards the manipulation of localized wavefields for on-chip patterning and transport over 2D materials surfaces.