Direct Visualization and Manipulation of Stacking Orders in Few-Layer Graphene by Dynamic Atomic Force Microscopy.

Abstract

Stacking order plays a central role in governing a wide range of properties in layered two-dimensional materials. In the case of few-layer graphene, there are two common stacking configurations: ABA and ABC stacking, which have been proven to exhibit dramatically different electronic properties. However, the controllable characterization and manipulation between them remain a great challenge. Here, we report that ABA- and ABC-stacked domains can be directly visualized in phase imaging by tapping-mode atomic force microscopy with much higher spatial resolution than conventional optical spectroscopy. The contrasting phase is caused by the different energy dissipation by the tip-sample interaction. We further demonstrate controllable manipulation on the ABA/ABC domain walls by means of propagating stress transverse waves generated by the tapping of tip. Our results offer a reliable strategy for direct imaging and precise control of the atomic structures in few-layer graphene, which can be extended to other two-dimensional materials.