National resources
The national resources for graphene research are foremost provided by several academic and industrial projects, funded by the Academy of Finland and Business Finland.
A national Center of Excellence (CoE) – Quantum Technology Finland, QTF (https://qtf.fi/ 2018-25), aims to introduce novel approaches for control of quantum coherence and dissipation, and to develop new and improved quantum circuits and hybrid architectures, with one of the research lines focusing on graphene, other 2D materials, and carbon nanotubes (Pertti Hakonen, Zhipei Sun). Major efforts are focused on Cooper pair splitting and flying qubits, as well as Quantum Hall edge states and superconductivity in graphene.
A national Photonics Flagship, PREIN (https://prein.fi 2019-) is a light-based technologies competence cluster for multi-disciplinary science, industry, and society. Combining the extensive resources and infrastructures of all its partners (Tampere University, Zhipei Sun and Harri Lipsanen fro Aalto University, University of Eastern Finland and VTT), PREIN covers all the value chain from fundamental research to applied research, product development and commercialization.
Academy of Finland supports research of novel photonic 2D materials (project “2D Layered Materials for Photonics”, 2016-20, Harri Lipsanen and UEF), single photon detectors using 2D materials (“Ultrasensitive bolometers for security applications”, 2018-21, Pertti Hakonen and other Aalto PIs), suspended graphene as a platform for testing basic low frequency noise theories (“1/f noise”, Pertti Hakonen and VTT), and atomic manipulation and design of 2D materials (“Tunable electronic and magnetic states in superconducting 2D materials”, 2017-20, Shawulienu Kezilebielke and Peter Liljeroth, AND “Artificial designer materials”, 2019-23 Peter Liljeroth).
European projects
The Graphene Flagship aims at taking graphene from the academic laboratories into European society in the timespan of ten years, thus generating economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities for Europeans as both investors and employees. The project is built around 11 specific science and technology areas of research. The Finnish partners in the Graphene Flagship project are Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Nokia Finland and University of Eastern Finland. The research groups run by Aalto University professors Pertti Hakonen (Low Temperature Laboratory/ Department of Applied Physics) and Harri Lipsanen (Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering) have been responsible for sensor development and production of high frequency transistors. The project, launched in 2013, has laid out a science and technology roadmap extending beyond 2025, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Nanoscale in 2015. The third phase of Graphene Flagship will start in April 2020 (H. Lipsanen).
The Quantum Flagship is a one-billion-euro-scale initiative aimed at consolidating and expanding European scientific leadership and excellence in this research area, to kick-start a competitive European industry in Quantum Technologies and to make Europe a dynamic and attractive region for innovative research, business and investments in this field. The long term vision of Quantum Flagship is to develop in Europe a so-called quantum web, where quantum computers, simulators and sensors are interconnected via quantum communication networks. This will help kick-starting a competitive European quantum industry making research results available as commercial applications and disruptive technologies. Graphene related research is pushed forward within the Flagship as part of the “Scalable Two-Dimensional Quantum Integrated Photonics“ project (2018-21, Zhipei Sun). The flagship focuses on four application areas: quantum communication, quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum metrology and sensing, as well as on the basic science behind quantum technologies.
ERC Advanced Grant QuDeT (Pertti Hakonen) addresses quantum devices in hybrid systems formed using carbon nanotubes, graphene, and 3He superfluid, all with particular topological characteristics. The project combines in a novel way graphene/3He systems where graphene acts as an interface/substrate of interacting atomic ensembles. These systems are used to investigate spin coherence across graphene, and De Haas – van Alphen effect in graphene. The aim of the project is to develop and utilise ultra sensitive nano electromechanical resonators to investigate fundamental physics questions, to understand properties of these non-trivial materials, and to discover and create new quantum systems. QuDeT s implemented during 2016-2020.
ERC Advanced Grant E-DESIGN (Peter Liljeroth) aims at constructing designer materials where the atomic geometry, interactions, magnetism and other relevant parameters can be precisely controlled. The focus is on realizing and engineering several novel quantum materials hosting exotic electronic phases: 2D topological insulators in metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and 2D topological superconductors in hybrid molecule-superconductor structures. These artificial designer structures can yield ultimately controllable materials that have large, robust and quick responses to small stimuli with applications in nanoelectronics, flexible electronics, high-selectivity and high-sensitivity sensors, and optoelectronic components. E-DESIGN is implemented during 2018-2023.
Earlier projects (ended):
The RODIN project targeted in fabrication of frequency tuneable, high-quality graphene resonators using suspended graphene. While some improvements for the performance of the developed resonators remained, the resonator design, models, fabrication, characterization and graphene manipulation methods developed in RODIN prove, that graphene mechanical filters in RF-components can be realized. The research groups run by Aalto University professors Pertti Hakonen (Low Temperature Laboratory/ Department of Applied Physics) and Jussi Ryynänen (Department of Micro and Nanosciences) were responsible for fabrication, electrical transport studies and integration of suspended graphene resonators. RODIN was implemented in 2010-2013.
ENTangled spin pairs in graphene (ENTS)
The ENTS project aimed at demonstrating the generation of spatially separated entangled pairs of spins in hybrid systems between superconductors and graphene. Two main avenues for realizing a Cooper pair beam splitter, ribbons structures on substrates and quantum dots in suspended graphene were studied with successful results. The results of the project have facilitated a multitude of quantum information experiments and emergence of the Graphene Flagship project. The project was part of a ESF EuroGRAPHENE programme and it was coordinated by Aalto professor Pertti Hakonen (Low Temperature Laboratory/ Department of Applied Physics). ENTS was implemented in 2010-2013.
National projects: Academy of Finland supported a research project “Two-dimensional programmable materials for optical and electronic applications” (A. Krasheninnikov & H. Lipsanen 2012-16). A large part of graphene research towards future industrial applications has been carried out in projects funded by Tekes and Finnish companies, such as “Graphene in Mobile Applications, Nanolaminates & Biosensing”, (H. Lipsanen & VTT) 2011-14; Finland Distinguished Professor project NP-Nano (Prof. Nasser Peyghambarian from University of Arizona), (H. Lipsanen & UEF) 2014-2017; and “Optical Information Processing for Energy-Efficient Data Centers”, (VTT & Z. Sun & H. Lipsanen) 2016-18. Additional resources were provided by the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries under project “Graphene Based Electronics Industry”, (H. Lipsanen & VTT) 2013-15.