ORNALAS - Research project

The aim of this project is to find an original method for creating surface fields with a tuneable multiscale texturing, relying on deterministic graphene folds. With this project there should be hope of finding and developing devices at the nanoscale that could be tuned to specific desired physical properties. The idea comes from the Japanese art of origami, having a 2D flat structure that when folded up transforms into a 3D structure, as well as being capable of folding and unfolding perfectly.
Supported graphene surface will be transformed via the uniaxial or biaxial compression of an elastomer substrate. To accomplish this ultrafast laser will be used in order to create engravings on the elastomer thus being able to generate nano and micrometric structures acting as a pattern for the expected folds of the transferred graphene. For this project there will be the need of contribution from engineers and researchers from four different laboratories to accomplish complementary steps. Among the considered possibilities of application there is plasmonic devices, surfaces with tuneable wettability or strong thermal dissipation, tuneable Fresnel lenses, among others.