Massless Electronic Excitations in Graphene Near Coulomb Impurities

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - We study low-energy massless electronic excitations in a graphene monolayer near a pointlike Coulomb impurity. We assume that such excitations are...     

Experimental evidence for Efros–Shklovskii variable range hopping in hydrogenated graphene

We have performed transport measurements on a hydrogenated graphene flake. It is found that conventional analysis cannot allow us to determine whether Mott variable range hopping (VRH) or Efros–Shklovskii (ES) VRH is the dominant mechanism in our system. By employing the modified resistance curve derivative analysis (RCDA) method, we are able to unequivocally show that ES VRH dominates and thus Coulomb interaction effects exist in our system at zero magnetic field. Transport data obtained in the intermediate and high field regimes also follow ES VRH based on the RCDA method. Our results suggest that Coulomb interaction effects can play an important role in disordered graphene.     

Electronic transport in graphene nanostructures on SiO2

We report two experiments on graphene nanostructures. The first was performed on a graphene nanoribbon, where the nature of electronic transport was investigated in detail. Electrons or holes are found to localize in pockets of the potential along the ribbon. Transport is governed by the joint action of localization and Coulomb interaction. The temperature-dependence of the conductance shows activated behavior at temperatures above a few Kelvin. The activation energy retraces the edges of Coulomb blockade diamonds found in nonlinear transport. In the second experiment the metallic tip of a low-temperature scanning force microscope was scanned above a graphene quantum dot. In addition to the familiar Coulomb blockade fringes, localized states are detected forming in the constrictions connecting the dot to source and drain.     

Quasi-particle spectrum and density of electronic states in AA- and AB-stacked bilayer graphene

The present work deals with the analysis of the quasi-particle spectrum and the density of states of monolayer and bilayer (AB- and AA-stacked) graphene. The tight binding Hamiltonian containing nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor hopping and onsite Coulomb interaction within two triangular sub-lattice approach for monolayer graphene, along-with the interlayer coupling parameter for bilayer graphene has been employed. The expressions of quasi-particle energies and the density of states (DOS) are obtained within mean-field Green’s function equations of motion approach. It is found that next-nearest-neighbour intralayer hopping introduce asymmetry in the electronic states above and below the zero point energy in monolayer and bilayer (AA- and AB-stacked) graphene. The behavior of electronic states in monolayer and bilayer graphene is different and highly influenced by interlayer coupling and Coulomb interaction. It has been pointed out that the interlayer coupling splits the quasi-particle peak in density of states while the Coulomb interaction suppresses the bilayer splitting and generates a gap at Fermi level in both AA- and AB-stacked bilayer graphene. The theoretically obtained quasi-particle energies and density of states in monolayer and bilayer (AA- and AB-stacked) graphene has been viewed in terms of recent ARPES and STM data on these systems.     

用量子蒙特卡罗方法研究二维超流-莫特绝缘体相变点附近的希格斯粒子

与伽利略不变性的超流体不同, 具有洛伦兹不变性的超流体中除了声子模之外, 还存在希格斯振幅模(Higgs amplitude mode). 在二维情况下, 由于存在十分剧烈的衰变成声子模的过程, 希格斯模是否仍然是一个能产生尖锐线性响应的激发子成为了一个问题. 近年来的进展最终对这一持续数十年的争论做出了肯定的回答, 证实了希格斯的可观测性. 在这里, 我们回顾一系列的数值方面的工作; 它们以二维超流体(superfluid)到莫特绝缘体(Mott insulator) 量子相变点(SF-MI QCP) 附近的具有洛伦兹不变性的超流体为对象, 成功探测到了希格斯模的线性响应信号. 特别是, 我们介绍了一种如何使用平衡态系统的蒙特卡罗算法计算强关联系统的延迟响应函数(retarded response function)的方法. 该方法主要包含两个核心步骤: 即通过路径积分表示下的蠕虫算法这一高效的蒙特卡罗算法计算平衡态系统的虚时间关联函数, 然后利用数值解析延拓方法从虚时间关联函数中获得实时间(实频率)的响应函数. 将该数值方法应用于二维SF-MI QCP附近的玻色-哈伯德模型(Bose-Hubbard Model), 结果表明尽管在超流相中, 希格斯模衰变过程非常剧烈, 但是在动能算符相对应的延迟响应函数的虚部中, 仍然可以观测到希格斯模所对应的尖锐的共振峰. 进一步的研究表明, 在莫特绝缘相, 甚至常流体相中, 也可能存在类似的共振峰信号. 由于可以在光晶格中超冷原子系统等凝聚态中观测到SF-MI QCP, 因此希格斯共振峰有望通过实验进行直接探测. 此外我们指出, 同样的希格斯共振峰还存在于所有和SF-MI QCP具有相同普适类((2+1)维相对论性U(1)临界性)的量子临界系统中.     

Quantum critical scaling and the origin of non-fermi-liquid behavior in Sc1-xUxPd3

We used inelastic neutron scattering to study magnetic excitations of Sc1-xUxPd3 for U concentrations (x=0.25, 0.35) near the spin glass quantum critical point (QCP). The excitations are spatially incoherent, broad in energy (E=variant Planck's over 2piomega), and follow omega/T scaling at all wave vectors investigated. Since similar omega/T scaling has been observed for UCu5-xPdx and CeCu6-xAux near the antiferromagnetic QCP, we argue that the observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior in these f-electron materials arises from the critical phenomena near a T=0 K phase transition, irrespective of the nature of the transition.     

Evidence for the strain critical point in high Tc superconductors

We report experimental evidence for the phase diagram of doped cuprate superconductors as a function of the micro-strain of the planar Cu-O bond length, measured by Cu K-edge EXAFS, and hole doping . The local lattice distortions are measured by EXAFS and the charge ordering is measured by synchrotron radiation diffuse X-ray diffraction. This phase diagram shows a QCP at P() where for charge-orbital-spin stripes and free carriers co-exist. The superconducting phase occurs in the region of critical fluctuations around this QCP. The function of two variables shows its maximum at the strain QCP. The critical fluctuations near this strain QCP give the self-organization of a metallic superlattice of quantum wires “superstripes" that favors the amplification of the critical temperature. Received 25 September 2000     

Coulomb interaction, ripples, and the minimal conductivity of graphene

We argue that the unscreened Coulomb interaction in graphene provides a positive, universal, and logarithmic correction to scaling of zero-temperature conductivity with frequency. The combined effect of the disorder due to wrinkling of the graphene sheet and the long-range electron-electron interactions is a finite positive contribution to the dc conductivity. This contribution is disorder strength dependent and thus nonuniversal. The low-energy behavior of such a system is governed by the line of fixed points at which both the interaction and disorder are finite, and the density of states is exactly linear. An estimate of the typical random vector potential representing ripples in graphene brings the theoretical value of the minimal conductivity into the vicinity of 4e2/h.     

The entanglement dynamics of interacting qubits embedded in a spin environment with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya term

We investigate the entanglement dynamics of two interacting qubits in a spin environment, which is described by an XY model with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) interaction. The competing effects of environmental noise and interqubit coupling on entanglement generation for various system parameters are studied. We find that the entanglement generation is suppressed remarkably in weak-coupling region at quantum critical point (QCP). However, the suppression of the entanglement generation at QCP can be compensated both by increasing the DM interaction and by decreasing the anisotropy of the spin chain. Beyond the weak-coupling region, there exist resonance peaks of concurrence when the system-bath coupling equals to external magnetic field. We attribute the presence of resonance peaks to the flat band of the self-Hamiltonian. These peaks are highly sensitive to anisotropy parameter and DM interaction.     

Coulomb bare interactions in inhomogeneous 4-layer graphene structures

We investigate Coulomb bare interactions in 4-layer graphene systems, taking into account the inhomogeneity of dielectric environment. By solving Poisson equation in momentum space, 16 elements of Coulomb potential tensor have been formed with analytical expressions. The formulae illustrate that Coulomb bare interactions in inhomogeneous 4-layer graphene system differ noticeably from those in homogeneous one. Nevertheless, both intra- and interlayer Coulomb potentials become independent with dielectric constants of contacting media, but they are decided by those of dielectric layer surrounding the system in long wavelength approximation. Besides, numerical results demonstrate that Coulomb bare interactions decrease considerably with the increase in carrier density in graphene sheets as well as their separated distance. In all investigations, the inhomogeneity of dielectric background should not be neglected for improvement in the model.     

Coulomb interaction and semimetal-insulator transition in graphene

The strong Coulomb interaction between massless Dirac fermions can drive a semimetal-insulator transition in single-layer graphene by dynamically generating an excitonic fermion gap. There is a critical interaction strength λc that separates the semimetal phase from the insulator phase. We calculate the specific heat and susceptibility of the system and show that they exhibit distinct behaviors in the semimetal and insulator phases.     

Theory of charged impurity scattering in two-dimensional graphene

We review the physics of charged impurities in the vicinity of graphene. The long-range nature of Coulomb impurities affects both the nature of the ground state density profile and graphene’s transport properties. We discuss the screening of a single Coulomb impurity and the ensemble averaged density profile of graphene in the presence of many randomly distributed impurities. Finally, we discuss graphene’s transport properties due to scattering off charged impurities both at low and high carrier density.     

Graphene based single molecule nanojunction

We introduce the ab-initio framework for zigzag-edged graphene fragment based single-electron transistor (SET) operating in the Coulomb blockade regime. Graphene is modeled using the density-functional theory and the environment is described by a continuum model. The interaction between graphene and the SET environment is treated self-consistently through the Poisson equation. We calculate the charging energy as a function of an external gate potential, and from this we obtain the charge stability diagram. Specifically, the importance of including re-normalization of the charge states due to the polarization of the environment has been demonstrated.     

Charge redistribution and a shortening of the Fe—As bond at the quantum critical point of SmO1–xFxFeAs

Many researchers have pointed out that there is a quantum critical point (QCP) in the F‐doped SmOFeAs system. In this paper, the electronic structure and local structure of the superconductive FeAs layer in SmO_1–xF_xFeAs as a function of the F‐doping concentration have been investigated using Fe and As K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. Experiments performed on the X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure showed that in the vicinity of the QCP the intensity of the pre‐edge feature at the Fe‐edge decreases continuously, while there is a striking rise of the shoulder‐peak at the As edge, suggesting the occurrence of charge redistribution near the QCP. Further analysis on the As K‐edge extended X‐ray absorption fine structure demonstrated that the charge redistribution originates mostly from a shortening of the Fe—As bond at the QCP. An evident relationship between the mysterious QCP and the fundamental Fe—As bond was established, providing new insights on the interplay between QCP, charge dynamics and the local structural Fe—As bond in Fe‐based superconductors.     

Influence of interlayer coupling and intra-layer Coulomb interaction on electronic transport in bilayer graphene

Calculations of renormalized perpendicular conductivity within Kubo formula employing single particle temperature dependent Green's function formalism for bilayer graphene has been attempted. On the basis of numerical analysis, perpendicular conductivity as a function of temperature, interlayer coupling, onsite Coulomb interaction and carrier concentration per site has been analyzed for both AA- and AB-stacked bilayer graphene. It is found that perpendicular conductivity increases with interlayer coupling and also with temperature at low temperatures while at higher temperatures, there is saturation in perpendicular conductivity. Influences of onsite Coulomb interaction and carrier concentration per site on perpendicular conductivity is just opposite to each other while onsite Coulomb energy suppresses the rate of increase of σ_⊥/σ_⊥0 with temperature, on the other hand increase in carrier density per site enhance this rate significantly. Finally, theoretically obtained results on temperature dependent perpendicular conductivity are viewed in terms of electronic transport data as well as recent theoretical works available in bilayer graphene.     

Fermi point in graphene as a monopole in momentum space

We consider the effective field theory of a graphene monolayer with the Coulomb interaction between fermions taken into account. The gauge field in momentum space is introduced. The position of the Fermi point coincides with the position of the corresponding monopole. The procedure of extracting such monopoles during lattice simulations is suggested.     

Theory of 2D transport in graphene for correlated disorder

We theoretically revisit graphene transport properties as a function of carrier density, taking into account possible correlations in the spatial distribution of the Coulomb impurity disorder in the environment. We find that the charged impurity correlations give rise to a density-dependent graphene conductivity, which agrees well qualitatively with the existing experimental data. We also find, quite unexpectedly, that the conductivity could increase with increasing impurity density if there is sufficient interimpurity correlation present in the system. In particular, the linearity (sublinearity) of graphene conductivity at lower (higher) gate voltage is naturally explained as arising solely from impurity correlation effects in the Coulomb disorder.     

Pairing by a Dynamical Interaction in a Metal

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - We consider pairing of itinerant fermions in a metal near a quantum-critical point (QCP) towards some form of particle-hole order (nematic,...     

Giant spin-Hall effect induced by the Zeeman interaction in graphene

We propose a new approach to generate and detect spin currents in graphene, based on a large spin-Hall response arising near the neutrality point in the presence of an external magnetic field. Spin currents result from the imbalance of the Hall resistivity for the spin-up and spin-down carriers induced by the Zeeman interaction, and do not involve a spin-orbit interaction. Large values of the spin-Hall response achievable in moderate magnetic fields produced by on-chip sources, and up to room temperature, make the effect viable for spintronics applications.     

Above-threshold dynamics of acoustic domains in liquid crystals

Owing to a nonquadratic spectrum, the Landau levels in graphene in crossed magnetic and electric fields should be affected by an electric field. Oscillations of magnetization in gapped and gapless graphene in crossed magnetic and electric fields are studied. The contribution of the Coulomb interaction to these oscillations is considered.