Preparation and Modeling of Graphene Bubbles to Obtain Strain-Induced Pseudomagnetic Fields

Abstract

It has been both theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated that strain can effectively modulate the electronic states of graphene sheets through the creation of a pseudomagnetic field (PMF). Pressurizing graphene sheets into bubble-like structures has been considered a viable approach for the strain engineering of PMFs. However, the bubbling technique currently faces limitations such as long manufacturing time, low durability, and challenges in precise control over the size and shape of the pressurized bubble. Here, we propose a rapid bubbling method based on an oxygen plasma chemical reaction to achieve rapid induction of out-of-plane deflections and in-plane strains in graphene sheets. We introduce a numerical scheme capable of accurately resolving the strain field and resulting PMFs within the pressurized graphene bubbles, even in cases where the bubble shape deviates from perfect spherical symmetry. The results provide not only insights into the strain engineering of PMFs in graphene but also a platform that may facilitate the exploration of the strain-mediated electronic behaviors of a variety of other 2D materials.