Exploring the electronic band structure of individual carbon nanotubes under 60 T

Nano-sciences, and in particular nano-physics, constitute a fascinating world of investigations where the experimental challenges are to synthesize, to address (for instance optically or electrically) to explore and promote the remarkable physical properties of new nano-materials. Somehow, one of the most promising realization of nano-sciences lies in carbon-based nano-materials with sp² covalent bonds. In particular, carbon nanotubes, graphene and more recently ultra-narrow graphene nano-ribbons are envisioned as elementary bricks of the future of nano-electronics. However, prior to such an achievement, the first steps consist in understanding their fundamental electronic properties when they constitute the drain–source channel of a gated device or inter-connexion elements. In this article, we present the richness of challenging experiments combining single-object measurements with an extreme magnetic environment. We demonstrate that an applied magnetic field (B), along with a control of the electrostatic doping, drastically modifies the electronic band structure of a carbon nanotube based transistor. Several examples will be addressed in this presentation. When B is applied parallel to the tube axis, a quantum flux threading the tube induces a giant Aharonov–Bohm conductance modulation mediated by Schottky barriers whose profile is magnetic field dependent. In the perpendicular configuration, the applied magnetic field breaks the revolution symmetry along the circumference and non-conventional Landau states develop in the high field regime. By playing with a carbon nanotube based electronic Fabry–Perot resonator, the field dependence of the resonant states of the cavity reveals the onset of the first Landau state at zero energy. These experiments enlighten the outstanding efficiency of magneto-conductance experiments to probe the electronic properties of carbon based nano-materials. To cite this article: S. Nanot et al., C. R. Physique 10 (2009).     

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.     

Graphene grown on transition metal substrates: Versatile templates for organic molecules with new properties and structures

The interest in graphene (a carbon monolayer) adsorbed on metal surfaces goes back to the 60's, long before isolated graphene was produced in the laboratory. Owing to the carbon-metal interaction and the lattice mismatch between the carbon monolayer and the metal surface, graphene usually adopts a rippled structure, known as moiré, that confers it interesting electronic properties not present in isolated graphene. These moiré structures can be used as versatile templates where to adsorb, isolate and assemble organic-molecule structures with some desired geometric and electronic properties. In this review, we first describe the main experimental techniques and the theoretical methods currently available to produce and characterize these complex systems. Then, we review the diversity of moiré structures that have been reported in the literature and the consequences for the electronic properties of graphene, attending to the magnitude of the lattice mismatch and the type of interaction, chemical or physical, between graphene and the metal surface. Subsequently, we address the problem of the adsorption of single organic molecules and then of several ones, from dimers to complete monolayers, describing both the different arrangements that these molecules can adopt as well as their physical and chemical properties. We pay a special attention to graphene/Ru(0001) due to its exceptional electronic properties, which have been used to induce long-range magnetic order in tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) monolayers, to catalyze the (reversible) reaction between acetonitrile and TCNQ molecules and to efficiently photogenerate large acenes.     

Velocity filtration and temperature inversion in a system with long-range interactions

Graphene has vast promising applications on the nanoelectronics and spintronics because of its unique magnetic and electronic properties. Making use of an ab initio spin-polarized density functional theory, implemented by the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof 06 hybrid functional method, abbreviated as HSE06, the properties of semi-metal nitrogen-substitutional graphene are investigated. From our investigations, we conclude that introducing nitrogen doping would possibly perform the spin symmetry breaking, resulting energy degeneracy at some doping configurations. The spin symmetry breaking would cause spin-polarized effects, which induce magnetic response in graphene. This paper systematically analyzes the dependence of magnetic moments and band gaps in graphene on nitrogen-substitutional doping configurations.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of silicon adsorption on graphene

Graphene has proved to be extremely sensitive to its surrounding environment, such as the supporting substrate and guest adatoms. In this work, the structural stabilities, and electronic and magnetic properties of graphene with low-coverage adsorption of Si atoms and dimers are studied using a first-principles method. Our results show that graphene with Si adatoms is metallic and magnetic with a tiny structural change in the graphene, while graphene with Si addimers is semi-metallic and nonmagnetic with a visible deformation of the graphene. The spin-polarized density of states is calculated in order to identify the electronic origin of the magnetic and nonmagnetic states. The present results suggest that the electronic and magnetic behaviors of graphene can be tuned simply via Si adsorptions.     

双空位掺杂氟化石墨烯的电子性质和磁性

基于密度泛函理论,计算了外来原子X(Al,P,Ga,As,Si)双空位替代掺杂氟化石墨烯的电子特性和磁性.通过对计算结果分析发现,与石墨烯的双空位掺杂类似,氟化石墨烯的双空位掺杂也是一种较为理想的掺杂方式.通过不同原子掺杂,氟化石墨烯的电子性质与磁性均发生很大变化:Al和Ga掺杂使氟化石墨烯由半导体变为金属,并且具有磁性;P和A8掺杂使氟化石墨烯变为自旋半导体;Si掺杂氟化石墨烯仍是半导体,只改变带隙且没有磁性.进一步讨论磁性产生机制获得了掺杂原子浓度与磁性的关系,并且发现不同掺杂情况的磁性是由不同原子的不同轨道电子引起的.双空位掺杂不仅丰富了氟化石墨烯的掺杂方式,其不同电磁特性也使此类掺杂结构在未来的电子器件中具有潜在应用.     

Weyl-gauge symmetry of graphene

The conformal invariance of the low energy limit theory governing the electronic properties of graphene is explored. In particular, it is noted that the massless Dirac theory in point enjoys local Weyl symmetry, a very large symmetry. Exploiting this symmetry in the two spatial dimensions and in the associated three dimensional spacetime, we find the geometric constraints that correspond to specific shapes of the graphene sheet for which the electronic density of states is the same as that for planar graphene, provided the measurements are made in accordance to the inner reference frame of the electronic system. These results rely on the (surprising) general relativistic-like behavior of the graphene system arising from the combination of its well known special relativistic-like behavior with the less explored Weyl symmetry. Mathematical structures, such as the Virasoro algebra and the Liouville equation, naturally arise in this three-dimensional context and can be related to specific profiles of the graphene sheet. Speculations on possible applications of three-dimensional gravity are also proposed.     

石墨烯等二维原子晶体薄片样品的光学衬度计算及其层数表征

本文以鉴别机械剥离法制备的高质量石墨烯样品的层数为例, 阐明了如何利用传输矩阵来计算二维原子晶体薄片样品的光学衬度, 并进一步精确地鉴别其层数. 计算结果表明测试时所选用的显微物镜数值孔径对精确确定薄片样品的层数非常重要, 并为实验所证实. 同时提出了使用两个激光波长可以快速地表征样品尺寸接近物镜衍射极限的薄片样品层数的方法. 本文所采用的传输矩阵形式非常适合于计算二维原子晶体薄片样品的光学衬度, 并可以方便地推广到更复杂的多层衬底结构, 以便快速和准确地鉴别各种衬底上二维原子晶体薄片样品的厚度. 关键词： 二维原子晶体材料 层数 传输矩阵 光学衬度     

News and Views: Perspectives on Graphene and Other 2D Materials Research and Technology Investments

With the actual experimental realization of graphene samples, it became possible not only to exploit the special physical properties of graphene but also to exploit its technological applications. As the field developed, the discovery of other 2D materials occurred and this opened up access to a plethora of combinations of a large variety of electrical, optical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Now there are large investments being made around the world to develop the graphene research area and to boost graphene use in technology. Here, we discuss current research and some future prospects for this area of layered nanomaterials.     

Magical Allotropes of Carbon: Prospects and Applications

The invention of carbon and its allotropes have transformed the electronic and optoelectronic industry due to their encouraging properties in a large spectrum of applications. The interesting characteristic of carbon is its ability to form many allotropes due to its valency. In recent decades, various allotropes and forms of carbon have been invented, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene (GR). Since the inception of nanotechnology, carbon allotropes-based nanocomposites have become a leading sector of research and advancement due to their unique bonding properties. Fullerenes and CNTs-based polymer nanocomposites have attracted significant research interest due to their vast applications in every sphere of science and technology. Current research impetus reveals that carbon and its allotropes have revolutionized the industry and academia due to their fascinated properties. Recent advances in various aspects of graphene, CNTs, graphene nanoribbons, fullerenes, carbon encapsulates, and their nanocomposites with polymeric materials and their different applications are reported in this review article. Also, current status and future prospects of graphene-based polymer nanocomposites are presented in common along with proper citations extracted from the scientific literature. Moreover, this article is a unique collection of vital information about GR, CNTs, fullerenes, and graphene-based polymer nanocomposites in a single platform.     

Electronic transport and quantum hall effect in bipolar graphene p-n-p junctions

We have developed a device fabrication process to pattern graphene into nanostructures of arbitrary shape and control their electronic properties using local electrostatic gates. Electronic transport measurements have been used to characterize locally gated bipolar graphene p-n-p junctions. We observe a series of fractional quantum Hall conductance plateaus at high magnetic fields as the local charge density is varied in the p and n regions. These fractional plateaus, originating from chiral edge states equilibration at the p-n interfaces, exhibit sensitivity to interedge backscattering which is found to be strong for some of the plateaus and much weaker for other plateaus. We use this effect to explore the role of backscattering and estimate disorder strength in our graphene devices.     

Near-field infrared response of graphene on copper substrate

The electronic properties of graphene are very sensitive to its dielectric environment. The coupling to a metal substrate can give rise to many novel quantum effects in graphene, such as band renormalization and plasmons with unusual properties, which are of high technological interest. Infrared nanoimaging are very suitable for exploring these effects considering their energy and length scales. Here, we report near-field infrared nanoimaging studies of graphene on copper synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. Remarkably, our measurements reveal three different types of near-field optical responses of graphene, which are very distinct from the near-field edge fringes observed in the substrate. These results can be understood from the modification of optical conductivity of graphene due to its coupling with the substrate. Our work provides a framework for identifying the near-field response of graphene in graphene/metal systems and paves the way for studying their novel physics and potential applications.     

Electronic structure of silicene

In this topical review, we discuss the electronic structure of free-standing silicene by comparing results obtained using different theoretical methods. Silicene is a single atomic layer of silicon similar to graphene. The interest in silicene is the same as for graphene, in being two-dimensional and possessing a Dirac cone. One advantage of silicene is due to its compatibility with current silicon electronics. Both empirical and first-principles techniques have been used to study the electronic properties of silicene. We will provide a brief overview of the parameter space for first-principles calculations.However, since the theory is standard, no extensive discussion will be included. Instead, we will emphasize what empirical methods can provide to such investigations and the current state of these theories. Finally, we will review the properties computed using both types of theories for free-standing silicene, with emphasis on areas where we have contributed.Comparisons to graphene is provided throughout.     

Engineering the electronic structure of graphene superlattices via Fermi velocity modulation

Graphene superlattices have attracted much research interest in the last years, since it is possible to manipulate the electronic properties of graphene in these structures. It has been verified that extra Dirac points appear in the electronic structure of the system. The electronic structure in the vicinity of these points has been studied for a gapless and gapped graphene superlattice and for a graphene superlattice with a spatially modulated energy gap. In each case a different behavior was obtained. In this work we show that via Fermi velocity engineering it is possible to tune the electronic properties of a graphene superlattice to match all the previous cases studied. We also obtained new features of the system never observed before, reveling that the electronic structure of graphene is very sensitive to the modulation of the Fermi velocity. The results obtained here are relevant for the development of novel graphene-based electronic devices.     

三角形石墨烯量子点阵列的磁电子学特性和磁输运性质

基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算方法,研究了三角形石墨烯纳米片用不同连接方式拼接而成的四种一维量子点阵列(1D QDAs)的磁电子学性质和磁输运性质.结合能计算表明所有1D QDAs是非常稳定的.特别是研究发现1D QDAs的电子和磁性质不仅依赖于磁性态,也明显依赖于连接方式,如在无磁态时,不同量子点阵列(QDAs)可为金属或窄带隙半导体.在铁磁态时,不同QDAs能为半金属(half-metal)或带隙不同的双极化磁性半导体.而在反铁磁态时,不同QDAs为带隙不等的半导体.这些结果意味着连接方式对有效调控纳米结构电子和磁性质扮演重要的角色.1D QDAs呈现的半金属或双极化磁性半导体性质对于发展磁器件是非常重要的,而这些性质未曾在本征石墨烯纳米带中出现.同时,我们也研究了一种阵列的磁器件特性,发现其拥有完美的(100%)单或双自旋过滤效应,尤其是呈现超过109%的巨磁阻效应.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of pristine and hydrogenated borophene nanoribbons

The groundbreaking works in graphene and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) over the past decade, and the very recent discovery of borophene naturally draw attention to the yet-to-be-explored borophene nanoribbons (BNRs). We herein report a density functional theory (DFT) study of the electronic and magnetic properties of BNRs. The foci are the impact of orientation (denoted as BxNRs and ByNRs with their respective periodic orientations along x- and y-axis), ribbon width (N_x, N_y=4–15), and hydrogenation effects on the geometric, electronic and magnetic properties of BNRs. We found that the anisotropic quasi-planar geometric structure of BNR and the edge states largely govern its electronic and magnetic properties. In particular, pristine ByNRs adopt a magnetic ground state, either anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) or ferromagnetic (FM) depending on the ribbon width, while pristine BxNRs are non-magnetic (NM). Upon hydrogenation, all BNRs exhibit NM. Interestingly, both pristine and hydrogenated ByNRs undergo a metal-semiconductor-metal transition at N_y=7, while all BxNRs remain metallic.     

In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Observation of Melted Germanium Encapsulated in Multilayer Graphene

Germanene is a two-dimensional germanium (Ge) analogous of graphene, and its unique topological properties are expected to make it a material for next-generation electronics. However, no germanene electronic devices have yet been reported. One of the reasons for this is that germanene is easily oxidized in air due to its lack of chemical stability. Therefore, growing germanene at solid interfaces where it is not oxidized is one of the key steps for realizing electronic devices based on germanene. In this study, the behavior of Ge at the solid interface at high temperatures is observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To achieve such in situ heating TEM observation, this work fabricates a graphene/Ge/graphene encapsulated structure. In situ heating TEM experiments reveal that Ge like droplets move and coalesce with other Ge droplets, indicating that Ge remains as a liquid phase between graphene layers at temperatures higher than the Ge melting point. It is also observed that Ge droplets incorporate the surrounding amorphous Ge as Ge nuclei, thereby increasing its size (domain growth). These results indicate that Ge crystals can be grown at the interface of van der Waals materials, which will be important for future germanene growth at solid interfaces.     

Influence of metal contacts and charge inhomogeneity on transport properties of graphene near the neutrality point

There is an increasing amount of literature concerning electronic properties of graphene close to the neutrality point. Many experiments continue using the two-probe geometry or invasive contacts or do not control samples’ macroscopic homogeneity. We believe that it is helpful to point out some problems related to such measurements. By using experimental examples, we illustrate that the charge inhomogeneity induced by spurious chemical doping or metal contacts can lead to large systematic errors in assessing graphene’s transport properties and, in particular, its minimal conductivity. The problems are most severe in the case of two-probe measurements where the contact resistance is found to strongly vary as a function of gate voltage.     

Landau levels in graphene layers with topological defects

In this work, we study the low-energy electronic spectrum of a graphene layer structure with a disclination in the presence of a magnetic field. We make this study using the continuum approach, where we use the geometric theory of topological defects to introduce a disclination in a graphene layer, and the electrons are described by the massless Dirac equation in this curved background. The bound states energy spectrum and eigenfunctions are also obtained and an explicit dependence was found on the parameter that characterizes the topological defect and on the magnetic field.