Scanning Probe Microscopy of Inhomogeneous States in 2D Materials

The ability of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to study material surfaces with atomic resolution makes it a perfect tool for measuring local structural and electronic properties and their relationships. This ability is especially beneficial in the investigation of 2D materials, whereby their very nature there are frequently large variations in local structure, for example due to strain or changing substrate interactions, leading to concomitant variations in local electronic properties. As one example, I will here present results of recent STM measurements of single-layer graphene on copper, and on the graphene nano-ribbons that form when draped over copper step edges. In particular, I will focus on the interesting measurement challenge presented by the topological nature of the states that arise at the edges of these and other systems.