Tungsten Carbide Nanolayer Formation by Ion Beam Mixing with Argon and Xenon Ions for Applications as Protective Coatings.

A novel nanolayer is formed by means of ion irradiation applicable as protective coating. Tungsten carbide (WC)-rich nanolayers were produced at room temperature by applying ion beam mixing of various carbon/tungsten (C/W) multilayer structures using argon and xenon ions with energy in the range of 40-120 keV and fluences between 0.25 and 3 × 10 ions/cm.

Observation of competing, correlated ground states in the flat band of rhombohedral graphite.

In crystalline solids, the interactions of charge and spin can result in a variety of emergent quantum ground states, especially in partially filled, topological flat bands such as Landau levels or in "magic angle" graphene layers. Much less explored is rhombohedral graphite (RG), perhaps the simplest and structurally most perfect condensed matter system to host a flat band protected by symmetry. By scanning tunneling microscopy, we map the flat band charge density of 8, 10, 14, and 17 layers and identify a domain structure emerging from a competition between a sublattice antiferromagnetic insulator and a gapless correlated paramagnet.

Dynamic strain in gold nanoparticle supported graphene induced by focused laser irradiation.

Graphene on noble-metal nanostructures constitutes an attractive nanocomposite with possible applications in sensors or energy conversion. In this work we study the properties of hybrid graphene/gold nanoparticle structures by Raman spectroscopy and scanning probe methods. The nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by local annealing of gold thin films using a focused laser beam.

Highly wear-resistant and low-friction SiN composites by addition of graphene nanoplatelets approaching the 2D limit.

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) have emerged as one of the most promising filler materials for improving the tribological performance of ceramic composites due to their outstanding solid lubricant properties as well as mechanical and thermal stability. Yet, the addition of GNPs has so far enabled only a very limited improvement in the tribological properties of ceramics, particularly concerning the reduction of their friction coefficient. This is most likely due to the challenges of achieving a continuous lubricating and protecting tribo-film through a high GNP coverage of the exposed surfaces.