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Department of Mechanical Engineering

Scott Bunch

Assistant Professor
(303) 492-6802
jbunch@colorado.edu
Personal Website
Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Ph.D., Physics, Cornell University, 2008
  • M.S., Physics, Cornell University, 2004
  • B.S., Physics, Florida International University, 2000

Professional Recognition

  • NSF CAREER Award (2011)
  • University of Colorado Department of Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Graduate Education Award (2009-2010)
  • DARPA MTO Young Faculty Award (2008)
  • Lucent Technologies Bell Laboratories Graduate Fellowship (2000-2004)

Research Interests

Experimental Nanomechanics:

  • Adhesion in Graphene
  • Gas Separation and Defect Engineering of Graphene Membranes
  • Graphene Nanomechanical Switches
  • Mechanical Properties of Ultrathin Films

Our research focuses on nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) from single atomic layer membranes, specifically the nanomechanical properties of suspended graphene sheets. We fabricate mechanical resonators with fundamental resonant frequencies in the MHz range and thicknesses down to a single atomic layer of atoms. The high Young's modulus (E ~ 1 TPa), extremely low mass (single layer of atoms), and large surface area make these resonators ideally suited for use as mass, force, and charge sensors. In addition to work on doubly clamped beams and cantilevers, we also investigate the properties of resonating drumheads, which consist of graphene sealed nanochambers containing a small volume of trapped gas. These experiments allow us to probe the membrane properties of single atomic layers. These membranes act as barriers for gases and liquids and represent the thinnest membrane possible (one layer of atoms) with the smallest potential pore sizes attainable (single atomic vacancies), and unprecedented mechanical stability.

Selected Publications

  • S.P. Koenig, N. G. Boddeti, M. L. Dunn, J. S. Bunch, Ultrastrong adhesion of graphene membranes, Nature Nanotechnology 6, 543-546 (2011).
  • J. S. Bunch, Putting a damper on nanoresonators (News and Views), Nature Nanotechnology 6, 331-332 (2011).
  • J. S. Bunch, S. S. Verbridge, J. S. Alden, A. M. van der Zande, J. M. Parpia, H. G. Craighead, and P. L. McEuen, Impermeable Atomic Membranes from Graphene Sheets, Nano Letters 8, 2458-2462 (2008).
  • J. S. Bunch, A. M. van der Zande, S. S. Verbridge, I. W. Frank, D. M. Tanenbaum, J. M. Parpia, H. G. Craighead, and P. L. McEuen, Electromechanical Resonators from Graphene Sheets, Science 315, 490-493 (2007).
  • J. S. Bunch, Y. Yaish, M. Brink, K. Bolotin, and P. L. McEuen, Coulomb oscillations and Hall effect in quasi-2D graphite quantum dots, Nano Letters 5, 287-290 (2005).
  • Y. G. Li, Y. D. Tseng, S. Y. Kwon, L. D'Espaux, J. S. Bunch, P. L. McEuen, and D. Luo, Controlled assembly of dendrimer-like DNA, Nature Materials 3, 38-42 (2004).