Quantized edge modes in atomic-scale point contacts in graphene

Kinikar, Amogh and Phanindra Sai, T and Bhattacharyya, Semonti and Agarwala, Adhip and Biswas, Tathagata and Sarker, Sanjoy K and Krishnamurthy, HR and Jain, Manish and Shenoy, Vijay B and Ghosh, Arindam (2017) Quantized edge modes in atomic-scale point contacts in graphene. In: Nature Nanotechnology, 12 (6). pp. 564-568. ISSN 1748-3387

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Abstract

The zigzag edges of single- or few-layer graphene are perfect one-dimensional conductors owing to a set of gapless states that are topologically protected against backscattering. Direct experimental evidence of these states has been limited so far to their local thermodynamic and magnetic properties, determined by the competing effects of edge topology and electron-electron interaction. However, experimental signatures of edge-bound electrical conduction have remained elusive, primarily due to the lack of graphitic nanostructures with low structural and/or chemical edge disorder. Here, we report the experimental detection of edge-mode electrical transport in suspended atomic-scale constrictions of single and multilayer graphene created during nanomechanical exfoliation of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. The edge-mode transport leads to the observed quantization of conductance close to multiples of G0 = 2e2 /h. At the same time, conductance plateaux at G0/2 and a split zero-bias anomaly in non-equilibrium transport suggest conduction via spin-polarized states in the presence of an electron-electron interaction.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Nature Nanotechnology
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Additional Information:	The Copyright of the article belongs to the Nature Publishing Group
Keywords:	Electron-electron interactions; Electrons; Topology; graphene; nanomaterial; Electrical conduction; Electrical transport; Experimental evidence; Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite; Nonequilibrium transport; One-dimensional conductors; Quantization of conductances; Spin polarized state; Article; atomic scale point contract; chemical structure; controlled study; edge-mode electrical transport; electric conductance; electrochemistry; electron transport; magnetism; nanomechanical exfoliation; physical parameters; priority journal; pyrolysis; Graphene
Department/Centre:	Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences > Centre for Nano Science and Engineering Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Physics
Date Deposited:	05 Jun 2022 05:29
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2022 05:29
URI:	https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/72956

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