Graphene-Based Normal/Ferromagnetic/Normal Junction as a Polarizer

Scattering matrix formalism is employed to calculate the conductance in a graphene-based N/F/N/F/N junction in the ballistic regime. The manipulation of spin transport for any number of N/F junctions is investigated by both the electrode gate and magnetic barriers. Kronig-Penney model is applied to consider the effects of barriers on spin transport in graphene. By considering a sequence of N/F junctions we have proposed that N/F/N junction could act like a polarizer. In this way, unpolarized charge carriers while traversing through the consecutive N/F/N junctions turn into polarized charge carriers.     

Transport in graphene nanostructures

Graphene nanostructures are promising candidates for future nanoelectronics and solid-state quantum information technology. In this review we provide an overview of a number of electron transport experiments on etched graphene nanostructures. We briefly revisit the electronic properties and the transport characteristics of bulk, i.e., two-dimensional graphene. The fabrication techniques for making graphene nanostructures such as nanoribbons, single electron transistors and quantum dots, mainly based on a dry etching ??paper-cutting?? technique are discussed in detail. The limitations of the current fabrication technology are discussed when we outline the quantum transport properties of the nanostructured devices. In particular we focus here on transport through graphene nanoribbons and constrictions, single electron transistors as well as on graphene quantum dots including double quantum dots. These quasi-one-dimensional (nanoribbons) and quasi-zero-dimensional (quantum dots) graphene nanostructures show a clear route of how to overcome the gapless nature of graphene allowing the confinement of individual carriers and their control by lateral graphene gates and charge detectors. In particular, we emphasize that graphene quantum dots and double quantum dots are very promising systems for spin-based solid state quantum computation, since they are believed to have exceptionally long spin coherence times due to weak spin-orbit coupling and weak hyperfine interaction in graphene.     

Laser-assisted spin-polarized transport in graphene tunnel junctions

The Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function method is utilized to theoretically study spin-polarized transport through a graphene spin valve irradiated by a monochromatic laser field. It is found that the bias dependence of the differential conductance exhibits successive peaks corresponding to the resonant tunneling through the photon-assisted sidebands. The multi-photon processes originate from the combined effects of the radiation field and the graphene tunneling properties, and are shown to be substantially suppressed in a graphene spin valve which results in a decrease of the differential conductance for a high bias voltage. We also discuss the appearance of a dynamical gap around zero bias due to the radiation field. The gap width can be tuned by changing the radiation electric field strength and the frequency. This leads to a shift of the resonant peaks in the differential conductance. We also demonstrate numerically the dependences of the radiation and spin valve effects on the parameters of the external fields and those of the electrodes. We find that the combined effects of the radiation field, the graphene and the spin valve properties bring about an oscillatory behavior in the tunnel magnetoresistance, and this oscillatory amplitude can be changed by scanning the radiation field strength and/or the frequency.     

Electronic properties and quantum transport in Graphene-based nanostructures

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) represent a novel class of low-dimensional materials. All these graphene-based nanostructures are expected to display the extraordinary electronic, thermal and mechanical properties of graphene and are thus promising candidates for a wide range of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. In this paper, the electronic and quantum transport properties of these carbon nanomaterials are reviewed. Although these systems share the similar graphene electronic structure, confinement effects are playing a crucial role. Indeed, the lateral confinement of charge carriers could create an energy gap near the charge neutrality point, depending on the width of the ribbon, the nanotube diameter, the stacking of the carbon layers regarding the different crystallographic orientations involved. After reviewing the transport properties of defect-free systems, doping and topological defects (including edge disorder) are also proposed as tools to taylor the quantum conductance in these materials. Their unusual electronic and transport properties promote these carbon nanomaterials as promising candidates for new building blocks in a future carbon-based nanoelectronics, thus opening alternatives to present silicon-based electronics devices.     

Gap opening in the zeroth Landau level in gapped graphene: pseudo-Zeeman splitting in an angular magnetic field

We present a theoretical study of gap opening in the zeroth Landau level in gapped graphene as a result of pseudo-Zeeman interaction. The applied magnetic field couples with the valley pseudospin degree of freedom of the charge carriers leading to the pseudo-Zeeman interaction. To investigate its role in transport at the charge neutrality point (CNP), we study the integer quantum Hall effect in gapped graphene in an angular magnetic field in the presence of pseudo-Zeeman interaction. Analytical expressions are derived for the Hall conductivity using the Kubo-Greenwood formula. We also determine the longitudinal conductivity for elastic impurity scattering in the first Born approximation. We show that pseudo-Zeeman splitting leads to a minimum in the collisional conductivity at high magnetic fields and a zero plateau in the Hall conductivity. Evidence for activated transport at CNP is found from the temperature dependence of the collisional conductivity.     

锯齿形石墨烯反点网络加工与输运性质研究

具有特定边界的石墨烯纳米结构在纳电子学、自旋电子学等研究领域表现出良好的应用前景.然而石墨烯加工成纳米结构时,无序的边界不可避免地会降低其载流子迁移率.氢等离子体各向异性刻蚀技术是加工具备完美边界石墨烯微纳结构的一项关键技术,刻蚀后的石墨烯呈现出规则的近原子级平整的锯齿形边界.本文研究了氮化硼上锯齿形边界石墨烯反点网络的磁输运性质,低磁场下可以观测到载流子围绕着一个空位缺陷运动时的公度振荡磁阻峰.随着磁场的增大,朗道能级简并度逐渐增大,载流子的磁输运行为从Shubnikov-de Haas振荡逐渐向量子霍尔效应转变.在零磁场附近可以观测到反点网络周期性空位缺陷的边界散射所导致的弱局域效应.研究结果表明,在氮化硼衬底上利用氢等离子体刻蚀技术加工锯齿形边界石墨烯反点网络,其样品质量会明显提高,这种简单易行的方法为后续高质量石墨烯反点网络的输运研究提供了新思路.     

Ballistic electron propagation through periodic few-layer graphene nanostructures

We have studied electron propagation in periodic structures containing mono- and few-layer graphene regions and/or semiconducting stripes. The calculation of the transmission coefficient in all cases has been performed using transfer matrices inside regions with the same material/potential energy, as well as interface matrices between regions in which the evolution laws of charge carriers differ. Numerical simulations of the transmission coefficient, as well as of the low-temperature conductance, suggest that different periodic structures modulate differently the electrical current. The obtained results can be used to model ballistic transport in all-graphene devices, in particular in few-layer graphene structures.     

A comparison of the transport properties of bilayer graphene,monolayer graphene,and two-dimensional electron gas

We studied and compared the transport properties of charge carriers in bilayer graphene, monolayer graphene, and the conventional semiconductors (the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG)). It is elucidated that the normal incidence transmission in the bilayer graphene is identical to that in the 2DEG but totally different from that in the monolayer graphene. However, resonant peaks appear in the non-normal incidence transmission profile for a high barrier in the bilayer graphene, which do not occur in the 2DEG. Furthermore, there are tunneling and forbidden regions in the transmission spectrum for each material, and the division of the two regions has been given in the work. The tunneling region covers a wide range of the incident energy for the two graphene systems, but only exists under specific conditions for the 2DEG. The counterparts of the transmission in the conductance profile are also given for the three materials, which may be used as high-performance devices based on the bilayer graphene.     

Charge noise acting on graphene double quantum dots in circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture

We investigate the dephasing mechanisms induced by the charge noise and microwave heating effect acting on a graphene double quantum dot(DQD) capacitively coupled to a microwave resonator. The charge noise is obtained from DC transport current, and its contribution to dephasing is simultaneously determined by the amplitude response of the microwave resonator. A lowfrequency 1/f-type noise is demonstrated to be the dominant factor of the dephasing of graphene DQD. Furthermore, when the applied microwave power is larger than-90 d Bm, the dephasing rate of graphene DQD increases rapidly with the increase of microwave power, and fluctuates slightly with the applied microwave power smaller than-90 d Bm. Our results can be applied to suppress the impeditive influence on the dephasing of graphene-based devices associated with microwave input in the perspective investigations.     

Two-dimensional phonon transport in graphene

Properties of phonons-quanta of the crystal lattice vibrations-in graphene have recently attracted significant attention from the physics and engineering communities. Acoustic phonons are the main heat carriers in graphene near room temperature, while optical phonons are used for counting the number of atomic planes in Raman experiments with few-layer graphene. It was shown both theoretically and experimentally that transport properties of phonons, i.e. energy dispersion and scattering rates, are substantially different in a quasi-two-dimensional system such as graphene compared to the basal planes in graphite or three-dimensional bulk crystals. The unique nature of two-dimensional phonon transport translates into unusual heat conduction in graphene and related materials. In this review, we outline different theoretical approaches developed for phonon transport in graphene, discuss contributions of the in-plane and cross-plane phonon modes, and provide comparison with available experimental thermal conductivity data. Particular attention is given to analysis of recent results for the phonon thermal conductivity of single-layer graphene and few-layer graphene, and the effects of the strain, defects, and isotopes on phonon transport in these systems.     

Transport properties of graphene functionalized with molecular switches

We provide a theory of the electronic transport properties of a graphene layer functionalized with molecular switches. Our considerations are motivated by the spiropyran-merocyanine system which is non-polar in its ring-closed spiropyran form and zwitterionic in its ring-open merocyanine form. The reversible switching between these two isomers affects the carriers in graphene through the associated change in the molecular dipole moment, turning the graphene layer into a sensor of the molecular switching state. We present results for both the quasiclassical (Boltzmann) and the quantum coherent regimes of transport. Quite generally, we find a linear sensitivity of the conductance on the molecular dipole moment whenever quantum interference effects play an essential role which contrasts with a quadratic (and typically weaker) dependence when quantum interference is absent.     

Energy band-gap engineering of graphene nanoribbons

We investigate electronic transport in lithographically patterned graphene ribbon structures where the lateral confinement of charge carriers creates an energy gap near the charge neutrality point. Individual graphene layers are contacted with metal electrodes and patterned into ribbons of varying widths and different crystallographic orientations. The temperature dependent conductance measurements show larger energy gaps opening for narrower ribbons. The sizes of these energy gaps are investigated by measuring the conductance in the nonlinear response regime at low temperatures. We find that the energy gap scales inversely with the ribbon width, thus demonstrating the ability to engineer the band gap of graphene nanostructures by lithographic processes.     

Investigation of the transport mechanism in graphene-induced metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAP)

Graphene is the most promising contender for the future generation of electronic and photonic devices, based on its extraordinary properties. The effect of the metal interface with graphene, however, which completely alters its properties, is of great importance. The effects of the substrate supporting the graphene matrix, the graphene/metal contact resistance and the overall metal oxide semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAP) for possible CMOS circuitry have been thoroughly investigated in this research work. We have fabricated a structure with pertinent deposition techniques and performed a detailed electrical analysis to obtain the transport characteristics. Nickel (Ni) is chosen as the transition metal which makes the chemisorption bonding with graphene while qualifying as an interface. We present an analysis of the metal contacts, a study of the metal resistivity at various planes, a study of the graphene (carbon) atom's resistance at the atomistic scale, the graphene based MOSCAP leakages, the necessary charge accumulation at the metal–graphene interface and the charge inversion just beneath the oxide layer.     

Hot-carrier transient transport

In this article a review is presented of the present knowledge on the problem of transient transport of charge carriers in semiconductors with high applied electric fields. After a summary of the fundamentals of charge transport the Monte Carlo method is presented as applied to such problems. Transient transport is then presented with special emphasis on the most modern results related to autocorrelation function of velocity fluctuations.     

Transport properties in a monolayer graphene modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the Schottky metal stripe

Based on the transfer-matrix method, a systematic investigation of electron transport properties is done in a monolayer graphene modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the Schottky metal stripe. The strong dependence of the electron transmission and the conductance on the incident angle of carriers is clearly seen. The height, position as well as width of the barrier also play an important role on the electron transport properties. These interesting results are very useful for understanding the tunneling mechanism in the monolayer graphene and helpful for designing the graphene-based electrical device modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the electrical barrier.     

Massive Dirac electron tunneling through a time-periodic potential in single layer graphene

We explore the transmission through a time-periodic potential barriers in single layer graphene with an induced energy gap in this work. The analytical solutions of the transmission probabilities for the central band and the first sidebands are obtained. The transmission probabilities as the function of the induced energy gap and the incidence electron energy are discussed. We also investigate how critical angles change as the induced energy gap and incidence electron energy. The study of transmission properties will benefit applications in graphene-based nano-electronics.     

Analytical expressions for electrostatics of graphene structures

This study focuses on electrostatics of various graphene structures as graphene monolayer, graphene nanoribbons, as well as multi-layer graphene or graphene flakes. An atomistic moment method based on classical electrostatics is utilized in order to evaluate the charge distribution in each nanostructure. Assuming a freestanding graphene structure in an infinite or in a semi-infinite space limited by a grounded infinite plane, the effect of the length, width, number of layers and position of the nanostructure on its electrostatic charge distributions and total charge and capacitance is examined through a parametric analysis. The results of the present show good agreement with corresponding available data in the literature, obtained from different theoretical approaches. Performing nonlinear regression analysis on the numerical results, where it is possible, simple analytical expressions are proposed for the total charge and charge distribution prediction based on structure geometry.     

Adsorption on graphene with vacancy-type defects: A model approach

The influence of graphene lattice defects on the adsorption properties of graphene has been considered. The adsorption properties have been investigated in the framework of the Anderson model. The disorder of the graphene crystal lattice has been analyzed using the T-matrix approximation. It has been found that the characteristic energy levels of defects are located near the Dirac point (±1 eV), because the most significant distortions of the spectrum due to the presence of defects in the graphene crystal lattice are observed in the vicinity of this point. Analytical expressions for the density of states of disordered graphene and atoms adsorbed on it have been obtained. A numerical calculation of the charge transfer in the considered system has been carried out. The obtained values of the charge transfer are in good agreement with the results of other studies, where the charge transfer was calculated using the experimental data and the density functional theory method. In the absence of defects, the presented results are well consistent with the results obtained within the M-model of adsorption (Davydov model). An approximation for the density of states of disordered graphene and the shift function of an adsorbed atom has been proposed. This approximation allows one to obtain analytical expressions for the charge transfer, energy of adsorption, and dipole moment.