Quantum blockade and loop currents in graphene with topological defects

Yanyang Zhang, Jiang Ping Hu, B. A. Bernevig, X. R. Wang, X. C. Xie, W. M. Liu

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60 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate the effect of topological defects on the transport properties of a narrow ballistic ribbon of graphene with zigzag edges. Our results show that the longitudinal conductance vanishes at several discrete Fermi energies where the system develops loop orbital electric currents with certain chirality. The chirality depends on the direction of the applied bias voltage and the sign of the local curvature created by the topological defects. This quantum localization phenomenon provides a way to generate a magnetic moment by an external electric field, which can prove useful in nanotronics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number155413
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume78
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 9 2008

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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