Sublattice-induced symmetry breaking and bandgap formation in graphene

Authors

Ralph A. Skomski, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
M Sky Driver, University of North Texas
Jeffery A. Kelber, University of North Texas

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Mater. Horiz., 2014

Comments

Copyright 2014 Used by permission

Abstract

A reduction of symmetry from C_6v to C_3v leads to the opening of a band gap in the otherwise gapless semiconductor graphene. Simple models provide a fairly complete picture of this mechanism for opening a band gap and in fact can be discussed in terms of the tight-binding approximation, accurately resolving the wave-vector space to a very high accuracy. This picture is consistent with experiments that yield a band gap due to A and B graphene-site symmetry breaking due to substrate interactions.