title: Free-standing single-atom-thick iron membranes suspended in graphene pores.
abstract: The excess of surface dangling bonds makes the formation of free-standing two-dimensional (2D) metals unstable and hence difficult to achieve. To date, only a few reports have demonstrated 2D metal formation over substrates. Here, we show a free-standing crystalline single-atom-thick layer of iron (Fe) using in situ low-voltage aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and supporting image simulations. First-principles calculations confirm enhanced magnetic properties for single-atom-thick 2D Fe membranes. This work could pave the way for new 2D structures to be formed in graphene membranes.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (IFW) Dresden, Institute of Complex Materials, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qingming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bachmatiuk
authors.forename: Gorantla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandeep
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rümmeli