Direkt zum Inhalt

Wurm, Jürgen ; Wimmer, Michael ; Richter, Klaus

Symmetries and the conductance of graphene nanoribbons with long-range disorder

Wurm, Jürgen, Wimmer, Michael and Richter, Klaus (2012) Symmetries and the conductance of graphene nanoribbons with long-range disorder. Physical Review B 85 (24), p. 245418.

Date of publication of this fulltext: 27 Apr 2012 06:29
Article
DOI to cite this document: 10.5283/epub.24062


Abstract

We study the conductance of graphene nanoribbons with long-range disorder. Due to the absence of intervalley scattering from the disorder potential, time-reversal symmetry (TRS) can be effectively broken even without a magnetic field, depending on the type of ribbon edge. Even though armchair edges generally mix valleys, we show that metallic armchair nanoribbons possess a hidden pseudovalley ...

We study the conductance of graphene nanoribbons with long-range disorder. Due to the absence of intervalley scattering from the disorder potential, time-reversal symmetry (TRS) can be effectively broken even without a magnetic field, depending on the type of ribbon edge. Even though armchair edges generally mix valleys, we show that metallic armchair nanoribbons possess a hidden pseudovalley structure and an effectively broken TRS. In contrast, semiconducting armchair nanoribbons inevitably mix valleys and restore TRS. As a result, in strong disorder metallic armchair ribbons exhibit a perfectly conducting channel, but semiconducting armchair ribbons exhibit ordinary localization. TRS is also effectively broken in zigzag nanoribbons in the absence of valley mixing. However, we show that intervalley scattering in zigzag ribbons is significantly enhanced and TRS is restored even for smooth disorder if the Fermi energy is smaller than the potential amplitude. The symmetry properties of disordered nanoribbons are also reflected in their conductance in the diffusive regime. In particular, we find suppression of weak localization and an enhancement of conductance fluctuations in metallic armchair and zigzag ribbons without valley mixing. In contrast, semiconducting armchair and zigzag ribbons with valley mixing exhibit weak localization behavior.



Involved Institutions


Details

Item typeArticle
Journal or Publication TitlePhysical Review B
Publisher:AMER PHYSICAL SOC
Place of Publication:COLLEGE PK
Volume:85
Number of Issue or Book Chapter:24
Page Range:p. 245418
Date8 June 2012
InstitutionsPhysics > Institute of Theroretical Physics > Chair Professor Richter > Group Klaus Richter
Interdisciplinary Subject NetworkNot selected
Identification Number
ValueType
10.1103/PhysRevB.85.245418DOI
1111.5969arXiv ID
Related URLs
URLURL Type
http://prb.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v85/i24/e245418Publisher
http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.5969Preprint
KeywordsCARBON NANOTUBES; TRANSPORT; FIELDS; STATE; EDGE;
Dewey Decimal Classification500 Science > 530 Physics
StatusPublished
RefereedYes, this version has been refereed
Created at the University of RegensburgYes
URN of the UB Regensburgurn:nbn:de:bvb:355-epub-240623
Item ID24062

Export bibliographical data

Owner only: item control page

nach oben