We demonstrate that the electronic spectrum of graphene in a one-dimensional periodic potential will develop a Landau level spectrum when the potential magnitude varies slowly in space. The effect is related to extra Dirac points generated by the potential whose positions are sensitive to its magnitude. We develop an effective theory that exploits a chiral symmetry in the Dirac Hamiltonian description with a superlattice potential, to show that the low energy theory contains an effective magnetic field. Numerical diagonalization of the Dirac equation confirms the presence of Landau levels. Possible consequences for transport are discussed.
We carry out an explicit calculation of the vacuum polarization tensor for an effective low-energy model of monolayer graphene in the presence of a weak magnetic field of intensity $B$ perpendicularly aligned to the membrane. By expanding the quasiparticle propagator in the Schwinger proper time representation up to order $(eB)^2$, where $e$ is the unit charge, we find an explicitly transverse tensor, consistent with gauge invariance. Furthermore, assuming that graphene is radiated with monochromatic light of frequency $omega$ along the external field direction, from the modified Maxwells equations we derive the intensity of transmitted light and the angle of polarization rotation in terms of the longitudinal ($sigma_{xx}$) and transverse ($sigma_{xy}$) conductivities. Corrections to these quantities, both calculated and measured, are of order $(eB)^2/omega^4$. Our findings generalize and complement previously known results reported in literature regarding the light absorption problem in graphene from the experimental and theoretical points of view, with and without external magnetic fields.
We theoretically study electronic properties of a graphene sheet on xy plane in a spatially nonuniform magnetic field, $B = B_0 hat{z}$ in one domain and $B = B_1 hat{z}$ in the other domain, in the quantum Hall regime and in the low-energy limit. We find that the magnetic edge states of the Dirac fermions, formed along the boundary between the two domains, have features strongly dependent on whether $B_0$ is parallel or antiparallel to $B_1$. In the parallel case, when the Zeeman spin splitting can be ignored, the magnetic edge states originating from the $n=0$ Landau levels of the two domains have dispersionless energy levels, contrary to those from the $n e 0$ levels. Here, $n$ is the graphene Landau-level index. They become dispersive as the Zeeman splitting becomes finite or as an electrostatic step potential is additionally applied. In the antiparallel case, the $n=0$ magnetic edge states split into electron-like and hole-like current-carrying states. The energy gap between the electron-like and hole-like states can be created by the Zeeman splitting or by the step potential. These features are attributed to the fact that the pseudo-spin of the magnetic edge states couples to the direction of the magnetic field. We propose an Aharonov-Bohm interferometry setup in a graphene ribbon for experimental study of the magnetic edge states.
We report transport experiments on graphene quantum dots. We focus on excited state spectra in the near vicinity of the charge neutrality point and signatures of the electron-hole crossover as a function of a perpendicular magnetic field. Coulomb blockade resonances of a 50 nm wide and 80 nm long dot are visible at all gate voltages across the transport gap ranging from hole to electron transport. The magnetic field dependence of more than 40 states as a function of the back gate voltage can be interpreted in terms of the unique evolution of the diamagnetic spectrum of a graphene dot including the formation of the E = 0 Landau level, situated in the center of the transport gap, and marking the electron-hole crossover.
We theoretically investigate electron transport through corrugated graphene ribbons and show how the ribbon curvature leads to an electronic superlattice with a period set by the corrugation wave length. Transport through the ribbon depends sensitively on the superlattice band structure which, in turn, strongly depends on the geometry of the deformed sheet. In particular, we find that for ribbon widths where the transverse level separation is comparable to the the band edge energy, a strong current switching occurs as function of an applied backgate voltage. Thus, artificially corrugated graphene sheets or ribbons can be used for the study of Dirac fermions in periodic potentials. Furthermore, this provides an additional design paradigm for graphene-based electronics.
Strain engineering of graphene takes advantage of one of the most dramatic responses of Dirac electrons enabling their manipulation via strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields. Numerous theoretically proposed devices, such as resonant cavities and valley filters, as well as novel phenomena, such as snake states, could potentially be enabled via this effect. These proposals, however, require strong, spatially oscillating magnetic fields while to date only the generation and effects of pseudo-gauge fields which vary at a length scale much larger than the magnetic length have been reported. Here we create a periodic pseudo-gauge field profile using periodic strain that varies at the length scale comparable to the magnetic length and study its effects on Dirac electrons. A periodic strain profile is achieved by pulling on graphene with extreme (>10%) strain and forming nanoscale ripples, akin to a plastic wrap pulled taut at its edges. Combining scanning tunneling microscopy and atomistic calculations, we find that spatially oscillating strain results in a new quantization different from the familiar Landau quantization observed in previous studies. We also find that graphene ripples are characterized by large variations in carbon-carbon bond length, directly impacting the electronic coupling between atoms, which within a single ripple can be as different as in two different materials. The result is a single graphene sheet that effectively acts as an electronic superlattice. Our results thus also establish a novel approach to synthesize an effective 2D lateral heterostructure - by periodic modulation of lattice strain.