Kirigami Engineering of Suspended Graphene Transducers

The low mass density and high mechanical strength of graphene make it an attractive candidate for suspended-membrane energy transducers. Typically, the membrane size dictates the operational frequency and bandwidth. However, in many cases it would be desirable to both lower the resonance frequency and increase the bandwidth, while maintaining overall membrane size. We employ focused ion beam milling or laser ablation to create kirigami-like modification of suspended pure-graphene membranes ranging in size from microns to millimeters. Kirigami engineering successfully reduces the resonant frequency, increases the displacement amplitude, and broadens the effective bandwidth of the transducer. Our results present a promising route to miniaturized wide-band energy transducers with enhanced operational parameter range and efficiency.

Automated summary

The low mass density and high mechanical strength of graphene make it an attractive material for suspended-membrane energy transducers. In this study, kirigami engineering was used to modify suspended pure-graphene membranes, resulting in a reduction in resonance frequency, an increase in displacement amplitude, and broadening of the transducer's effective bandwidth. This research presents a promising approach for miniaturized wide-band energy transducers with improved operational parameters and efficiency.