603 research outputs found
Structure and stability of graphene nanoribbons in oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and ammonia
We determine, by means of density functional theory, the stability and the
structure of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) edges in presence of molecules such as
oxygen, water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. As in the case of
hydrogen-terminated nanoribbons, we find that the most stable armchair and
zigzag configurations are characterized by a non-metallic/non-magnetic nature,
and are compatible with Clar's sextet rules, well known in organic chemistry.
In particular, we predict that, at thermodynamic equilibrium, neutral GNRs in
oxygen-rich atmosphere should preferentially be along the armchair direction,
while water-saturated GNRs should present zigzag edges. Our results promise to
be particularly useful to GNRs synthesis, since the most recent and advanced
experimental routes are most effective in water and/or ammonia-containing
solutions.Comment: accepted for publication in PR
Structure, Stability, Edge States and Aromaticity of Graphene Ribbons
We determine the stability, the geometry, the electronic and magnetic
structure of hydrogen-terminated graphene-nanoribbons edges as a function of
the hydrogen content of the environment by means of density functional theory.
Antiferromagnetic zigzag ribbons are stable only at extremely-low ultra-vacuum
pressures. Under more standard conditions, the most stable structures are the
mono- and di-hydrogenated armchair edges and a zigzag edge reconstruction with
one di- and two mono-hydrogenated sites. At high hydrogen-concentration
``bulk'' graphene is not stable and spontaneously breaks to form ribbons, in
analogy to the spontaneous breaking of graphene into small-width nanoribbons
observed experimentally in solution. The stability and the existence of exotic
edge electronic-states and/or magnetism is rationalized in terms of simple
concepts from organic chemistry (Clar's rule)Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by Physical Review
Letter
The self-organized critical forest-fire model on large scales
We discuss the scaling behavior of the self-organized critical forest-fire
model on large length scales. As indicated in earlier publications, the
forest-fire model does not show conventional critical scaling, but has two
qualitatively different types of fires that superimpose to give the effective
exponents typically measured in simulations. We show that this explains not
only why the exponent characterizing the fire-size distribution changes with
increasing correlation length, but allows also to predict its asymptotic value.
We support our arguments by computer simulations of a coarse-grained model, by
scaling arguments and by analyzing states that are created artificially by
superimposing the two types of fires.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figure
Phase Transitions in a Forest-Fire Model
We investigate a forest-fire model with the density of empty sites as control
parameter. The model exhibits three phases, separated by one first-order phase
transition and one 'mixed' phase transition which shows critical behavior on
only one side and hysteresis. The critical behavior is found to be that of the
self-organized critical forest-fire model [B. Drossel and F. Schwabl, Phys.
Rev. Lett. 69, 1629 (1992)], whereas in the adjacent phase one finds the spiral
waves of the Bak et al. forest-fire model [P. Bak, K. Chen and C. Tang, Phys.
Lett. A 147, 297 (1990)]. In the third phase one observes clustering of trees
with the fire burning at the edges of the clusters. The relation between the
density distribution in the spiral state and the percolation threshold is
explained and the implications for stationary states with spiral waves in
arbitrary excitable systems are discussed. Furthermore, we comment on the
possibility of mapping self-organized critical systems onto 'ordinary' critical
systems.Comment: 30 pages RevTeX, 9 PostScript figures (Figs. 1,2,4 are of reduced
quality), to appear in Phys. Rev.
Electronic Structures of N-doped Graphene with Native Point Defects
Nitrogen doping in graphene has important implications in graphene-based
devices and catalysts. We have performed the density functional theory
calculations to study the electronic structures of N-doped graphene with
vacancies and Stone-Wales defect. Our results show that monovacancies in
graphene act as hole dopants and that two substitutional N dopants are needed
to compensate for the hole introduced by a monovacancy. On the other hand,
divacancy does not produce any free carriers. Interestingly, a single N dopant
at divacancy acts as an acceptor rather than a donor. The interference between
native point defect and N dopant strongly modifies the role of N doping
regarding the free carrier production in the bulk pi bands. For some of the
defects and N dopant-defect complexes, localized defect pi states are partially
occupied. Discussion on the possibility of spin polarization in such cases is
given. We also present qualitative arguments on the electronic structures based
on the local bond picture. We have analyzed the 1s-related x-ray photoemission
and adsorption spectroscopy spectra of N dopants at vacancies and Stone-Wales
defect in connection with the experimental ones. We also discuss characteristic
scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images originating from the electronic and
structural modifications by the N dopant-defect complexes. STM imaging for
small negative bias voltage will provide important information about possible
active sites for oxygen reduction reaction.Comment: 40 pages, 2 tables, 16 figures. The analysis of Clar sextets is
added. This version is published on PHYSICAL REVIEW B 87, 165401(2013
Forest fires and other examples of self-organized criticality
We review the properties of the self-organized critical (SOC) forest-fire
model. The paradigm of self-organized criticality refers to the tendency of
certain large dissipative systems to drive themselves into a critical state
independent of the initial conditions and without fine-tuning of the
parameters. After an introduction, we define the rules of the model and discuss
various large-scale structures which may appear in this system. The origin of
the critical behavior is explained, critical exponents are introduced, and
scaling relations between the exponents are derived. Results of computer
simulations and analytical calculations are summarized. The existence of an
upper critical dimension and the universality of the critical behavior under
changes of lattice symmetry or the introduction of immunity are discussed. A
survey of interesting modifications of the forest-fire model is given. Finally,
several other important SOC models are briefly described.Comment: 37 pages RevTeX, 13 PostScript figures (Figs 1, 4, 13 are of reduced
quality to keep download times small
Phase Transition in a Stochastic Forest Fire Model and Effects of the Definition of Neighbourhood
We present results on a stochastic forest fire model, where the influence of
the neighbour trees is treated in a more realistic way than usual and the
definition of neighbourhood can be tuned by an additional parameter.
This model exhibits a surprisingly sharp phase transition which can be
shifted by redefinition of neighbourhood. The results can also be interpreted
in terms of disease-spreading and are quite unsettling from the epidemologist's
point of view, since variation of one crucial parameter only by a few percent
can result in the change from endemic to epidemic behaviour.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figure
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