149 research outputs found
Anomalously large conductance fluctuations in weakly disordered graphene
We have studied numerically the mesoscopic fluctuations of the conductance of
a graphene strip (width W large compared to length L), in an ensemble of
samples with different realizations of the random electrostatic potential
landscape. For strong disorder (potential fluctuations comparable to the
hopping energy), the variance of the conductance approaches the value predicted
by the Altshuler-Lee-Stone theory of universal conductance fluctuations. For
weaker disorder the variance is greatly enhanced if the potential is smooth on
the scale of the atomic separation. There is no enhancement if the potential
varies on the atomic scale, indicating that the absence of backscattering on
the honeycomb lattice is at the origin of the anomalously large fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figure
Symmetry Classes in Graphene Quantum Dots: Universal Spectral Statistics, Weak Localization, and Conductance Fluctuations
We study the symmetry classes of graphene quantum dots, both open and closed,
through the conductance and energy level statistics. For abrupt termination of
the lattice, these properties are well described by the standard orthogonal and
unitary ensembles. However, for smooth mass confinement, special time-reversal
symmetries associated with the sublattice and valley degrees of freedom are
critical: they lead to block diagonal Hamiltonians and scattering matrices with
blocks belonging to the unitary symmetry class even at zero magnetic field.
While the effect of this structure is clearly seen in the conductance of open
dots, it is suppressed in the spectral statistics of closed dots, because the
intervalley scattering time is shorter than the time required to resolve a
level spacing in the closed systems but longer than the escape time of the open
systems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Aharonov-Bohm effect and broken valley-degeneracy in graphene rings
We analyze theoretically the electronic properties of Aharonov-Bohm rings
made of graphene. We show that the combined effect of the ring confinement and
applied magnetic flux offers a controllable way to lift the orbital degeneracy
originating from the two valleys, even in the absence of intervalley
scattering. The phenomenon has observable consequences on the persistent
current circulating around the closed graphene ring, as well as on the ring
conductance. We explicitly confirm this prediction analytically for a circular
ring with a smooth boundary modelled by a space-dependent mass term in the
Dirac equation. This model describes rings with zero or weak intervalley
scattering so that the valley isospin is a good quantum number. The tunable
breaking of the valley degeneracy by the flux allows for the controlled
manipulation of valley isospins. We compare our analytical model to another
type of ring with strong intervalley scattering. For the latter case, we study
a ring of hexagonal form with lattice-terminated zigzag edges numerically. We
find for the hexagonal ring that the orbital degeneracy can still be controlled
via the flux, similar to the ring with the mass confinement.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, replaced with considerably extended new versio
Practical remarks concerning phase diagrams determination on the basis of differential scanning calorimetry measurements
Superconductivity enhanced conductance fluctuations in few layer graphene nanoribbons
We investigate the mesoscopic disorder induced rms conductance variance
in a few layer graphene nanoribbon (FGNR) contacted by two
superconducting (S) Ti/Al contacts. By sweeping the back-gate voltage, we
observe pronounced conductance fluctuations superimposed on a linear background
of the two terminal conductance G. The linear gate-voltage induced response can
be modeled by a set of inter-layer and intra-layer capacitances.
depends on temperature T and source-drain voltage .
increases with decreasing T and . When lowering , a
pronounced cross-over at a voltage corresponding to the superconducting energy
gap is observed. For |V_{sd}|\ltequiv \Delta the fluctuations are
markedly enhanced. Expressed in the conductance variance of one
graphene-superconducutor (G-S) interface, values of 0.58 e^2/h are obtained at
the base temperature of 230 mK. The conductance variance in the sub-gap region
are larger by up to a factor of 1.4-1.8 compared to the normal state. The
observed strong enhancement is due to phase coherent charge transfer caused by
Andreev reflection at the nanoribbon-superconductor interface.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Three-Dimensional Dirac Electrons at the Fermi Energy in Cubic Inverse Perovskites: Ca_3PbO and its Family
The band structure of cubic inverse perovskites, Ca_3PbO and its family, are
investigated with the first-principles method. A close observation of the band
structure reveals that six equivalent Dirac electrons with a very small mass
exist on the line connecting the Gamma- and X-points, and at the symmetrically
equivalent points in the Brillouin zone. The discovered Dirac electrons are
three-dimensional and remarkably located exactly at the Fermi energy. A
tight-binding model describing the low-energy band structure is also
constructed and used to discuss the origin of the Dirac electrons in this
material. Materials related to Ca_3PbO are also studied, and some design
principles for the Dirac electrons in this series of materials are proposed.Comment: 4.2 pages, refined versio
Valley filter and valley valve in graphene
It is known that the lowest propagating mode in a narrow ballistic ribbon of
graphene may lack the twofold valley degeneracy of higher modes. Depending on
the crystallographic orientation of the ribbon axis, the lowest mode mixes both
valleys or lies predominantly in a single valley (chosen by the direction of
propagation). We show, using a tight-binding model calculation, that a
nonequilibrium valley polarization can be realized in a sheet of graphene, upon
injection of current through a ballistic point contact with zigzag edges. The
polarity can be inverted by local application of a gate voltage to the point
contact region. Two valley filters in series may function as an
electrostatically controlled ``valley valve'', representing a
zero-magnetic-field counterpart to the familiar spin valve.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 5 figure
Graphene based superconducting quantum point contacts
We investigate the Josephson effect in the graphene nanoribbons of length
smaller than the superconducting coherence length and an arbitrary width .
We find that in contrast to an ordinary superconducting quantum point contact
(SQPC) the critical supercurrent is not quantized for the nanoribbons
with smooth and armchair edges. For a low concentration of the carriers
decreases monotonically with lowering and tends to a constant minimum for
a narrow nanoribbon with . The minimum is zero for the
smooth edges but for the armchair edges. At higher
concentrations of the carriers this monotonic variation acquires a series of
peaks. Further analysis of the current-phase relation and the Josephson
coupling strength in terms of and the concentration of carriers
revels significant differences with those of an ordinary SQPC. On the other
hand for a zigzag nanoribbon we find that, similar to an ordinary SQPC,
is quantized but to the half-integer values .Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Field-induced polarisation of Dirac valleys in bismuth
Electrons are offered a valley degree of freedom in presence of particular
lattice structures. Manipulating valley degeneracy is the subject matter of an
emerging field of investigation, mostly focused on charge transport in
graphene. In bulk bismuth, electrons are known to present a threefold valley
degeneracy and a Dirac dispersion in each valley. Here we show that because of
their huge in-plane mass anisotropy, a flow of Dirac electrons along the
trigonal axis is extremely sensitive to the orientation of in-plane magnetic
field. Thus, a rotatable magnetic field can be used as a valley valve to tune
the contribution of each valley to the total conductivity. According to our
measurements, charge conductivity by carriers of a single valley can exceed
four-fifth of the total conductivity in a wide range of temperature and
magnetic field. At high temperature and low magnetic field, the three valleys
are interchangeable and the three-fold symmetry of the underlying lattice is
respected. As the temperature lowers and/or the magnetic field increases, this
symmetry is spontaneously lost. The latter may be an experimental manifestation
of the recently proposed valley-nematic Fermi liquid state.Comment: 14 pages + 5 pages of supplementary information; a slightly modified
version will appear as an article in Nature physic
Ferromagnetism without flat bands in thin armchair nanoribbons
Describing by a Hubbard type of model a thin armchair graphene ribbon in the
armchair hexagon chain limit, one shows in exact terms, that even if the system
does not have flat bands at all, at low concentration a mesoscopic sample can
have ferromagnetic ground state, being metallic in the same time. The mechanism
is connected to a common effect of correlations and confinement.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figures, in press at Eur. Phys. Jour.
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