Glowing Graphene Nanoelectromechanical Resonators at Ultra-High Temperature up to 2650K

Abstract

We report on the first experimental demonstration of electrothermally tuned few-layer graphene resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) operating at high and very high frequency (HF/VHF) simultaneously with strong visible light emission. In tri-layer graphene resonators with carefully controlled Joule heating, we have demonstrated ultra-wide frequency tuning up to $\Delta f/f_{0}\approx 1300\%$, which is the highest frequency tuning range known to date among reported 2D materials resonators. Simultaneously, device temperature variations imposed by Joule heating are monitored using Raman spectroscopy and emission spectrum; and we find that the device temperature increases from 300K up to 2650K, which is the highest operating temperature known to date for electromechanical resonators. When device temperature is above 1800K, the vibrating graphene NEMS starts glowing and emitting visible light with robust mechanical resonance. These results show that electromechanical resonance modes can be robustly sustained and read out at glowing temperatures with incandescent emission in graphene NEMS, suggesting new perspectives for integrating and configuring timing functions in light emitting graphene devices for harsh and extreme environment applications.