John Alvarez-Wilches
Research Mentor: Na Hyun Jo
Mentor Department: Physics, LSA
Author(s): John Alvarez-Wilches, Na Hyun Jo, Trisha Musall
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 22
Abstract
Rhombohedral graphene is a multilayer stacking configuration in which graphene sheets follow an ABC sequence rather than the more common Bernal ABA arrangement. This stacking order is of interest because it is predicted to host flat electronic bands near the Fermi level, which can amplify interaction effects and enable correlated electronic behavior. Despite this potential, rhombohedral graphene is difficult to study experimentally due to its metastable nature and tendency to relax into other stacking configurations. We aim to investigate methods for identifying and stabilizing rhombohedral graphene while developing reliable techniques for characterizing its structure and electron properties. To this end, multilayer graphene flakes are produced through mechanical exfoliation and screened using optical microscopy and scanning-based methods to locate candidate regions. Raman spectroscopy is used to distinguish stacking order and assess the sample quality in a non-destructive manner. Selected samples are further studied using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to probe their electronic band structure. Current efforts are focused on establishing an experimental workflow that allows consistent identification and characterization of rhombohedral regions across multiple samples. While long-term stabilization remains an open challenge, the work completed so far provides practical insight into the experimental constraints of studying this system. By refining exfoliation, scanning, and measurement techniques, this work aims to support future studies of interaction-driven phenomena in rhombohedral graphene and related low-dimensional materials.
