Electronic properties of graphene with a topological defect

TL;DR

This paper models various topological defects in graphene as pseudomagnetic vortices within a continuum Dirac-Weyl framework, analyzing their effects on electronic properties like density of states and ground state charge.

Contribution

It introduces a unified continuum model describing topological defects in graphene as pseudomagnetic vortices, linking defect geometry to electronic properties.

Findings

Topological defects modeled as pseudomagnetic vortices affect electronic states.

Density of states and ground state charge are quantitatively determined.

Different defect types produce distinct electronic signatures.

Abstract

Various types of topological defects in graphene are considered in the framework of the continuum model for long-wavelength electronic excitations, which is based on the Dirac--Weyl equation. The condition for the electronic wave function is specified, and we show that a topological defect can be presented as a pseudomagnetic vortex at the apex of a graphitic nanocone; the flux of the vortex is related to the deficit angle of the cone. The cases of all possible types of pentagonal defects, as well as several types of heptagonal defects (with the numbers of heptagons up to three, and six), are analyzed. The density of states and the ground state charge are determined.