Chemical and electronic structure imaging of graphene on Cu: a NanoARPES study

Electronic structure, which describes the distribution of electronic states in reciprocal space, is one of the most fundamental concepts in condensed matter physics, since it determines the electrical, optical and magnetic behaviours of materials. Graphene has great promise for both fundamental physics and future applications. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is currently the dominant technology for its scaled growth on metal foils. The polycrystalline nature of metal foil makes NanoARPES, one energy-momentum dispersion probe with spatial resolution down to a few tens of nanometers, a unique tool to study the intrinsic electronic structure of polycrystalline graphene films. In this topical review, we present the latest NanoARPES studies on graphene grains and films grown on copper foil by CVD. The comprehensive chemical and electronic images probed by NanoARPES provide deep insight about graphene and point out potential ways to functionalize graphene properties. This knowledge may stimulate us to look into the future of this field from both the material synthesis and the instrumental characterisation. (topical review)