Graphene: from functionalization to devices

International audienceThe year 2014 marks the first decade of the rise of graphene. Graphene, a single atomiclayer of carbon atoms in sp2 bonding configuration having a honeycomb structure, has nowbecome a well-known and well-established material. Among some of its many outstandingfundamental properties, one can mention a very high carrier mobility, a very large spindiffusion length, unsurpassed mechanical properties as graphene is the strongest materialever measured and an exceptional thermal conductivity scaling more than one order ofmagnitude above that of copper. After the first years of the graphene rush, graphene growthis now well controlled using various methods like epitaxial growth on silicon carbidesubstrate, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or plasma techniques on metal, insulator orsemiconductor substrates. More applied research is now taking over the initial studies ongraphene production. Indeed, graphene is a promising material for many advancedapplications such as, but not limited to, electronic, spintronics, sensors, photonics,micro/nano-electromechanical (MEMS/NEMS) systems, super-capacitors or touch-screentechnologies. In this context, this Special Issue of the Journal of Physics D: AppliedPhysics on graphene reviews some of the recent achievements, progress and prospects inthis field. It includes a collection of seventeen invited articles covering the current statusand future prospects of some selected topics of strong current interest. This Special Issue isorganized in four sections.The first section is dedicated to graphene devices, and opens with an article by de Heeret al on an investigation of integrating graphene devices with silicon complementarymetal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Then, a study by Svintsov et al proposesa lateral all-graphene tunnel field-effect transistor (FET) with a high on/off current switchingratio. Next, Tsukagoshi et al present how a band-gap opening occurs in a graphene bilayerby using a perpendicular electric field to operate logic gates. Plac¸ais et al then show therealization of graphene microwave nano-transistors that are especially suitable for fastcharge detectors. Matsumoto et al describe next some interesting graphene-based biosensorapplications, while the following article by Otsuji et al shows recent advances in plasmonicsin terahertz device applications. This section ends with the Dollfus et al article dealing withnon-linear effects in graphene devices investigated by simulation methods.The second section concerns the electronic and transport properties and includes fourarticles. The first one by Gurzadyan et al provides an investigation of graphene oxide inwater by femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy to study its transient absorption properties.Jouault et al then review the quantum Hall effect of self-organized graphene monolayersepitaxially grown on the C-face of SiC. Next, Petkovic et al report on the observation ofedge magneto-plasmons in graphene. Finally, Roche and Valenzuela focus on the limits ofconventional views in graphene spin transport and offer novel perspectives for furtherprogress.The third section addresses graphene tailoring and functionalization as studied byGenorio and Znidarsic for graphene nanoribbons, or by atomic intercalation as shown bythe two articles from Starke and Forti, and from Bisson et al.The last section is devoted to graphene growth and morphology. Ogino et al firstdescribe a method to grow graphene on insulating substrates using polymer films as acarbon source. Then, Suemitsu et al show the recent progresses in epitaxial grapheneformation on cubic silicon carbide thin films. Finally, Norimatsu and Kusunoki investigatethe structural properties and morphology of epitaxial graphene grown on hexagonal siliconcarbide substrates by using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope, their articleclosing this Special Issue