Unforeseen high temperature and humidity stability of FeCl3 intercalated few layer graphene.

We present the first systematic study of the stability of the structure and electrical properties of FeCl3 intercalated few-layer graphene to high levels of humidity and high temperature. Complementary experimental techniques such as electrical transport, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy conclusively demonstrate the unforseen stability of this transparent conductor to a relative humidity up to 100% at room temperature for 25 days, to a temperature up to 150°C in atmosphere and to a temperature as high as 620°C in vacuum, that is more than twice higher than the temperature at which the intercalation is conducted. The stability of FeCl3 intercalated few-layer graphene together with its unique values of low square resistance and high optical transparency, makes this material an attractive transparent conductor in future flexible electronic applications.

Approaching magnetic ordering in graphene materials by FeCl3 intercalation.

We show the successful intercalation of large area (1 cm(2)) epitaxial few-layer graphene grown on 4H-SiC with FeCl3. Upon intercalation the resistivity of this system drops from an average value of ∼200 Ω/sq to ∼16 Ω/sq at room temperature. The magneto-conductance shows a weak localization feature with a temperature dependence typical of graphene Dirac fermions demonstrating the decoupling into parallel hole gases of each carbon layer composing the FeCl3 intercalated structure. The phase coherence length (∼1.2 µm at 280 mK) decreases rapidly only for temperatures higher than the 2D magnetic ordering in the intercalant layer while it tends to saturate for temperatures lower than the antiferromagnetic ordering between the planes of FeCl3 molecules providing the first evidence for magnetic ordering in the extreme two-dimensional limit of graphene.

All-graphene photodetectors.

We investigate the optoelectronic properties of novel graphene/FeCl3-intercalated few-layer graphene (FeCl3-FLG, dubbed graphexeter) heterostructures using photovoltage spectroscopy. We observe a prominent photovoltage signal generated at the graphene/FeCl3-FLG and graphene/Au interfaces, whereas the photovoltage at the FeCl3-FLG/Au interface is negligible. The sign of the photovoltage changes upon sweeping the chemical potential of the pristine graphene through the charge neutrality point, and we show that this is due to the photothermoelectric effect. Our results are a first step toward all-graphene-based photodetectors and photovoltaics.