Quantum Transport and Molecular Sensing in Reduced Graphene Oxide Measured with Scanning Probe Microscopy

TL;DR

This paper explores how local electrostatic control affects electronic transport in reduced graphene oxide, revealing its potential for nanoscale electronics and chemical sensing.

Contribution

The study demonstrates electrostatic tuning of quantum transport in rGO and links it to chemical sensing via p-type doping.

Findings

Local electrostatic potentials significantly modulate quantum transport in reduced graphene oxide.

Exposure to acetone increases source–drain current reversibly, indicating p-type chemical doping.

Transport behavior is explained by AFM tip-induced Fermi-level shifts and defect-mediated scattering.

Abstract

We report combined scanning probe microscopy and electrical measurements to investigate local electronic transport in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) devices. We demonstrate that quantum transport in these materials can be significantly tuned by the electrostatic potential applied with a conducting atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. Scanning gate microscopy (SGM) reveals a clear p-type response in which local gating modulates the source–drain current, while scanning impedance microscopy (SIM) indicates corresponding shifts of the Fermi level under different gating conditions. The observed transport behavior arises from the combined effects of AFM tip-induced Fermi-level shifts and defect-mediated scattering. These results show that resonant scattering associated with impurities or structural defects plays a central role and highlight the strong influence of local electrostatic potentials on rGO conduction. Consistent with this electrostatic control, the device also exhibits chemical gating and sensing: during exposure to electron-withdrawing molecules (acetone), the source–drain current increases reversibly and returns to baseline upon purging with air. Repeated cycles over 15 min show reproducible amplitudes and recovery. Using a simple transport model, we estimate an increase of about 40% in carrier density during exposure, consistent with p-type doping by electron-accepting analytes. These findings link nanoscale electrostatic control to macroscopic sensing performance, advancing the understanding of charge transport in rGO and underscoring its promise for nanoscale electronics, flexible chemical sensors, and tunable optoelectronic devices.

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