8,518 research outputs found
Localized states at zigzag edges of bilayer graphene
We report the existence of zero energy surface states localized at zigzag
edges of bilayer graphene. Working within the tight-binding approximation we
derive the analytic solution for the wavefunctions of these peculiar surface
states. It is shown that zero energy edge states in bilayer graphene can be
divided into two families: (i) states living only on a single plane, equivalent
to surface states in monolayer graphene; (ii) states with finite amplitude over
the two layers, with an enhanced penetration into the bulk. The bulk and
surface (edge) electronic structure of bilayer graphene nanoribbons is also
studied, both in the absence and in the presence of a bias voltage between
planes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Bilayer graphene: gap tunability and edge properties
Bilayer graphene -- two coupled single graphene layers stacked as in graphite
-- provides the only known semiconductor with a gap that can be tuned
externally through electric field effect. Here we use a tight binding approach
to study how the gap changes with the applied electric field. Within a parallel
plate capacitor model and taking into account screening of the external field,
we describe real back gated and/or chemically doped bilayer devices. We show
that a gap between zero and midinfrared energies can be induced and externally
tuned in these devices, making bilayer graphene very appealing from the point
of view of applications. However, applications to nanotechnology require
careful treatment of the effect of sample boundaries. This being particularly
true in graphene, where the presence of edge states at zero energy -- the Fermi
level of the undoped system -- has been extensively reported. Here we show that
also bilayer graphene supports surface states localized at zigzag edges. The
presence of two layers, however, allows for a new type of edge state which
shows an enhanced penetration into the bulk and gives rise to band crossing
phenomenon inside the gap of the biased bilayer system.Comment: 8 pages, 3 fugures, Proceedings of the International Conference on
Theoretical Physics: Dubna-Nano200
Phenomenological study of the electronic transport coefficients of graphene
Using a semi-classical approach and input from experiments on the
conductivity of graphene, we determine the electronic density dependence of the
electronic transport coefficients -- conductivity, thermal conductivity and
thermopower -- of doped graphene. Also the electronic density dependence of the
optical conductivity is obtained. Finally we show that the classical Hall
effect (low field) in graphene has the same form as for the independent
electron case, characterized by a parabolic dispersion, as long as the
relaxation time is proportional to the momentum.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
SelEQ: a web-based application for the selection of earthquake ground motions for structural analysis
Given the continuous development and availability of strong-motion databases containing real accelerograms, the consideration of such information in nonlinear structural analysis becomes increasingly attractive. However, the selection of records to adopt in structural analysis requires not only the consideration of consistent selection criteria but also the availability of computational tools that allow for fast and efficient searches of earthquake records within such databases. In this context, and following the recent advances in internet-based technologies, the present paper introduces SelEQ, a web-based application for the search and selection of earthquake records. This tool incorporates a number of filtering procedures allowing for the search of seismic records based on geophysical data but also on more advanced criteria such as spectral shape matching. Furthermore, SelEQ allows also the selection of earthquake records according to current seismic design code requirements, such as those of Eurocode 8, which demand for record suites compatible with a given response spectrum
Disorder Induced Localized States in Graphene
We consider the electronic structure near vacancies in the half-filled
honeycomb lattice. It is shown that vacancies induce the formation of localized
states. When particle-hole symmetry is broken, localized states become
resonances close to the Fermi level. We also study the problem of a finite
density of vacancies, obtaining the electronic density of states, and
discussing the issue of electronic localization in these systems. Our results
also have relevance for the problem of disorder in d-wave superconductors.Comment: Replaced with published version. 4 pages, 4 figures. Fig. 1 was
revise
How women’s empowerment influences fertility-related outcomes and contraceptive practices: A cross-sectional study in Mozambique
Women’s empowerment could be a crucial step for tackling gender inequality and improve women’s reproductive health and rights in Mozambique. This study aims to examine how different domains of women’s empowerment influence fertility-related outcomes and contraceptive practices in Mozambique. We used the 2015 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted in Mozambique from which a sample of 2072 women aged 15 to 49 years were selected and included in this analysis. A principal component analysis was performed, and the components retained were identified as the domains of empowerment. These were: Beliefs about violence against women, Decision-making, and Control over sexuality and safe sex. A multinomial logistic regression was run to estimate the association between levels of empowerment for each domain and the study outcomes. Crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) were calculated, with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Beliefs about violence against women and Control over sexuality and safe sex were positively associated with having 1 to 4 children. Control over sexuality and safe sex also increased likelihood of women wanting to space childbearing over more than 2 years. Decision-making increased the odds of women not wanting more children. Middle to high empowerment levels for Control over sexuality and safe sex also increased the chances of using any type of contraceptive method and using it for longer periods. All domains, from the middle to high levels of empowerment, decreased the chances of women not wanting to use contraception. Our study confirmed the multidimensional nature of empowerment showing that each domain had a different effect over specific fertility and contraceptive outcomes and reinforced the importance of a domain approach for estimating and understanding empowerment. It also revealed the critical role of Control over sexuality and safe sex domain for improving women’s ability to decide over fertility and contraceptive practices in Mozambique.We gratefully acknowledge the PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia to SCL (SFRH/BD/146625/2019) and the contract to SF (CEECIND/01516/2017). We also thank the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Cape Town for the Post Graduate Research Training Grant (FRC Award 2019) to SCL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
Modeling disorder in graphene
We present a study of different models of local disorder in graphene. Our
focus is on the main effects that vacancies -- random, compensated and
uncompensated --, local impurities and substitutional impurities bring into the
electronic structure of graphene. By exploring these types of disorder and
their connections, we show that they introduce dramatic changes in the low
energy spectrum of graphene, viz. localized zero modes, strong resonances, gap
and pseudogap behavior, and non-dispersive midgap zero modes.Comment: 16 pages, lower resolution figure
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