QUANTUM-CONTROLLED VALLEYTRONIC DEVICES IN BILAYER GRAPHENE

Abstract

Quantum-Controlled Valleytronic Devices in Bilayer Graphene Hexagonal two-dimensional crystals, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, exhibit a pair of degenerate bands at the K and K’ valleys in momentum space. The valley electrons are characterized by non-trivial Berry curvatures, which give rise to anomalous quantum Hall states in monolayer graphene. Bilayer graphene(BLG) provides an attractive platform to explore topological valley physics: a tunable semiconductor bandgap can be induced in BLG using a vertical electrical field. Such gapped BLG features quantum valley-Hall effects, the valley counterpart of the quantum spin-Hall effects. Recently we demonstrated that a topologically protected onedimensional (1D) conducting channels at the AB-BA domain walls of gapped bilayer graphene. It was predicted that the 1D conducting channels arise from counter propagating chiral electrons with opposite valley. Such valley-polarized 1D chiral electron channels provide exciting opportunities for exploring topological phenomena in graphene and for valleytronic applications. Here we propose to investigate systematically of the quantum valley-Hall boundary states in bilayer graphene by combining advanced near-field optical spectroscopy and lowtemperature electrical transport measurements. Specifically, we will (1) determine realspace atomic structure of the AB-BA domain walls in exfoliated bilayer graphene, (2) obtain electronic structure and optical transitions at the AB-BA domain walls, and (3) establish the fundamental limit on the ballistic transport length of the 1D conducting channel. Based on such fundamental understanding of valley-polarized 1D channels, we will explore novel valleytronic devices including valley filters and valley valves based on bilayer graphene.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2016
Source ID
N000141512651

Entities

People

  • Feng Wang

Organizations

  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Navy
  • University of California Regents

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene
  • Quantum Computing
  • Space