L. M. Malard

Probing the electronic structure of bilayer graphene by Raman scattering

The electronic structure of bilayer graphene is investigated from a resonant Raman study using different laser excitation energies. The values of the parameters of the Slonczewski-Weiss-McClure model for graphite are measured experimentally and some of them differ significantly from those reported previously for graphite, specially that associated with the difference of the effective mass of electrons and holes. The splitting of the two TO phonon branches in bilayer graphene is also obtained from the experimental data. Our results have implications for bilayer graphene electronic devices.

Observation of distinct electron-phonon couplings in gated bilayer graphene.

A Raman study of a back gated bilayer graphene sample is presented. The changes in the Fermi level induced by charge transfer splits the Raman G band, hardening its higher component and softening the lower one. These two components are associated with the symmetric (S) and antisymmetric vibration (AS) of the atoms in the two layers, the later one becoming Raman active due to inversion symmetry breaking. The phonon hardening and softening are explained by considering the selective coupling of the S and AS phonons with interband and intraband electron-hole pairs.

Group-theory analysis of electrons and phonons in N-layer graphene systems

In this work we study the symmetry properties of electrons and phonons in graphene systems as a function of the number of layers. We derive the selection rules for the electron-radiation interactions and for the electron-phonon interactions at all points in the Brillouin zone. By considering these selection rules, we address the double-resonance Raman-scattering process. The monolayer and bilayer graphenes in the presence of an applied electric field are also discussed.

Thermal enhancement of chemical doping in graphene: a Raman spectroscopy study

The Raman spectrum of monolayer graphene deposited on the top of a silicon oxide/silicon substrate was investigated as a function of temperature up to 515 K. An anomalous temperature dependence of the Raman features was observed, including an important frequency upshift for the Raman G band at room temperature, after the heating process. On the other hand, the frequency of the Raman G() band is only slightly affected by the thermal treatment. We discuss our experimental results in terms of doping and strain effects associated with the interaction of graphene with the substrate and with the presence of water in the sample. We conclude that the doping effect gives the most important contribution to the spectral changes observed after the thermal cycle.

Intervalley scattering by acoustic phonons in two-dimensional MoS2 revealed by double-resonance Raman spectroscopy

Double-resonance Raman scattering is a sensitive probe to study the electron-phonon scattering pathways in crystals. For semiconducting two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides, the double-resonance Raman process involves different valleys and phonons in the Brillouin zone, and it has not yet been fully understood. Here we present a multiple energy excitation Raman study in conjunction with density functional theory calculations that unveil the double-resonance Raman scattering process in monolayer and bulk MoS2. Results show that the frequency of some Raman features shifts when changing the excitation energy, and first-principle simulations confirm that such bands arise from distinct acoustic phonons, connecting different valley states. The double-resonance Raman process is affected by the indirect-to-direct bandgap transition, and a comparison of results in monolayer and bulk allows the assignment of each Raman feature near the M or K points of the Brillouin zone. Our work highlights the underlying physics of intervalley scattering of electrons by acoustic phonons, which is essential for valley depolarization in MoS2.

The use of a Ga+ focused ion beam to modify graphene for device applications

In this work, we clarify the features of the lateral damage of line defects in single layer graphene. The line defects were produced through well-controlled etching of graphene using a Ga(+) focused ion beam. The lateral damage length was obtained from both the integrated intensity of the disorder induced Raman D band and the minimum ion fluence. Also, the line defects were characterized by polarized Raman spectroscopy. It was found that graphene is resilient under the etching conditions since the intensity of the defect induced Raman D peak exhibits a dependence on the direction of the lines relative to the crystalline lattice and also on the direction of the laser polarization relative to the lines. In addition, electrical measurements of the modified graphene were performed. Different ion fluences were used in order to obtain a completely insulating defect line in graphene, which was determined experimentally by means of charge injection and electric force microscopy measurements. These studies demonstrate that a Ga+ ion column combined with Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique to produce and understand well-defined periodic arrays of defects in graphene, opening possibilities for better control of nanocarbon devices.

Loss of a Neural AMP-Activated Kinase Mimics the Effects of Elevated Serotonin on Fat, Movement, and Hormonal Secretions

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionarily conserved master regulator of metabolism and a therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes. As an energy sensor, AMPK activity is responsive to both metabolic inputs, for instance the ratio of AMP to ATP, and numerous hormonal cues. As in mammals, each of two genes, aak-1 and aak-2, encode for the catalytic subunit of AMPK in C. elegans. Here we show that in C. elegans loss of aak-2 mimics the effects of elevated serotonin signaling on fat reduction, slowed movement, and promoting exit from dauer arrest. Reconstitution of aak-2 in only the nervous system restored wild type fat levels and movement rate to aak-2 mutants and reconstitution in only the ASI neurons was sufficient to significantly restore dauer maintenance to the mutant animals. As in elevated serotonin signaling, inactivation of AAK-2 in the ASI neurons caused enhanced secretion of dense core vesicles from these neurons. The ASI neurons are the site of production of the DAF-7 TGF-β ligand and the DAF-28 insulin, both of which are secreted by dense core vesicles and play critical roles in whether animals stay in dauer or undergo reproductive development. These findings show that elevated levels of serotonin promote enhanced secretions of systemic regulators of pro-growth and differentiation pathways through inactivation of AAK-2. As such, AMPK is not only a recipient of hormonal signals but can also be an upstream regulator. Our data suggest that some of the physiological phenotypes previously attributed to peripheral AAK-2 activity on metabolic targets may instead be due to the role of this kinase in neural serotonin signaling.

Observation of the Kohn anomaly near the K point of bilayer graphene

The dispersion of electrons and phonons near the

Dopamine signaling regulates fat content through β-oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

K

Useful entanglement from the Pauli principle

point of bilayer graphene was investigated in a resonant Raman study using different laser excitation energies in the near-infrared and visible range. The electronic structure was analyzed within the tight-binding approximation, and the Slonczewski-Weiss-McClure parameters were obtained from the analysis of the dispersive behavior of the Raman features. A softening of the phonon branches was observed near the