DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1101352108. Common-path interference and oscillatory Zener tunneling in bilayer graphene p-n junctions

Common-path interference and oscillatory Zener tunneling in bilayer graphene p-n junctions

10.1073/pnas.1101352108

Crossref journal-article

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (341)

Abstract

Interference and tunneling are two signature quantum effects that are often perceived as the yin and yang of quantum mechanics: a particle simultaneously propagating along several distinct classical paths versus a particle penetrating through a classically inaccessible region via a single least-action path. Here we demonstrate that the Dirac quasiparticles in graphene provide a dramatic departure from this paradigm. We show that Zener tunneling in gapped bilayer graphene, which governs transport through p-n heterojunctions, exhibits common-path interference that takes place under the tunnel barrier. Due to a symmetry peculiar to the gapped bilayer graphene bandstructure, interfering tunneling paths form conjugate pairs, giving rise to high-contrast oscillations in transmission as a function of the gate-tunable bandgap and other control parameters of the junction. The common-path interference is solely due to forward-propagating waves; in contrast to Fabry–Pérot-type interference in resonant-tunneling structures, it does not rely on multiple backscattering. The oscillations manifest themselves in the junction I–V characteristic as N-shaped branches with negative differential conductivity. The negative dI / dV , which arises solely due to under-barrier interference, can enable new high-speed active-circuit devices with architectures that are not available in electronic semiconductor devices.

Bibliography

Nandkishore, R., & Levitov, L. (2011). Common-path interference and oscillatory Zener tunneling in bilayer graphene p-n junctions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(34), 14021â14025.

Authors 2

Rahul Nandkishore (first)
Leonid Levitov (additional)

References 29 Referenced 34

SM Sze, KK Ng Physics of Semiconductor Devices (Wiley, New York, 2007). / Physics of Semiconductor Devices by Sze SM (2007)
10.1147/rd.141.0061
10.1038/nphys245
10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.086805
10.1103/PhysRevB.74.161403
10.1038/nmat2082
10.1038/nature08105
CA Zener, Theory of the electrical breakdown of solid dielectrics. Proc R Soc London 145, 523–529 (1934). / Proc R Soc London / Theory of the electrical breakdown of solid dielectrics by Zener CA (1934)
LV Keldysh, Behavior of non-metallic crystals in strong electric fields. J Exp Theor Phys (USSR) 33, 994–1003 (1957). / J Exp Theor Phys (USSR) / Behavior of non-metallic crystals in strong electric fields by Keldysh LV (1957)
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10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.036804
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10.1063/1.2360895
10.1103/PhysRevB.82.045416
10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.247204
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10.1103/PhysRevB.74.041403
10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.156603
10.1103/PhysRev.109.603
10.1038/nphys1198
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A Shytov N Gu L Levitov Transport in graphene p-n junctions in magnetic field. arXiv:0708.3081v1. (2007).
ECG Stückelberg, Theory of inelastic collisions between atoms. Helv Phys Acta 5, 369–422 (1932). / Helv Phys Acta / Theory of inelastic collisions between atoms by Stückelberg ECG (1932)
10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.236803
10.1126/science.1144657

Dates

Type	When
Created	14 years ago (Aug. 9, 2011, 2:20 a.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 4 months ago (April 14, 2022, 3:23 p.m.)
Indexed	1 year, 4 months ago (April 7, 2024, 4:33 p.m.)
Issued	14 years ago (Aug. 8, 2011)
Published	14 years ago (Aug. 8, 2011)
Published Online	14 years ago (Aug. 8, 2011)
Published Print	14 years ago (Aug. 23, 2011)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Nandkishore_2011, title={Common-path interference and oscillatory Zener tunneling in bilayer graphene p-n junctions}, volume={108}, ISSN={1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1101352108}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.1101352108}, number={34}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Nandkishore, Rahul and Levitov, Leonid}, year={2011}, month=aug, pages={14021–14025} }

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