Tight-binding approach to uniaxial strain in graphene

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2009

Authors

Pereira, VM (Author) Other; Castro Neto, AH (Author) Other; Peres, NMR (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

Vol. 80

ISSN: 1098-0121

Publisher: American Physical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1028 Citations

Scopus - 1093 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-J0S

DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.80.045401

Abstract (EN): We analyze the effect of tensional strain in the electronic structure of graphene. In the absence of electron-electron interactions, within linear elasticity theory, and a tight-binding approach, we observe that strain can generate a bulk spectral gap. However, this gap is critical, requiring threshold deformations in excess of 20% and only along preferred directions with respect to the underlying lattice. The gapless Dirac spectrum is robust for small and moderate deformations and the gap appears as a consequence of the merging of the two inequivalent Dirac points only under considerable deformations of the lattice. We discuss how strain-induced anisotropy and local deformations can be used as a means to affect transport characteristics and pinch off current flow in graphene devices.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8