Tunable Band Gap in Graphene with a Non-Centrosymmetric Superlattice Potential

Abstract

We show that, if graphene is subjected to the potential from an external superlattice, a band gap develops at the Dirac point provided the superlattice potential has broken inversion symmetry. As a numerical example, we calculate the band structure of graphene in the presence of an external potential due to periodically patterned gates arranged in a triangular graphene superlattice (TGS) with broken inversion symmetry, and find that a band gap is created at both the original and "second generation" Dirac point. The gap can be controlled, in principle, by changing the external potential and the lattice constant of the TGS.Comment: 6 figures, Phys. Rev. B 79, 20543