Gauge field induced by ripples in graphene

TL;DR

This paper investigates how ripples in graphene influence its electronic properties, revealing that strong disorder can cause a divergence in the density of states and affect magnetic responses, with implications for graphene's ground state and structural stability.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of how quenched ripples induce gauge fields in graphene, affecting its density of states and electronic behavior, which is a novel insight into ripple-induced gauge effects.

Findings

Divergence in DOS at strong ripple disorder

Formation of dislocations and buckling in rippled graphene

Alterations in Landau levels due to gauge potentials

Abstract

We study the effects of quenched height fluctuations (ripples) in graphene on the density of states (DOS). We show that at strong ripple disorder a divergence in the DOS can lead to an ordered ground state. We also discuss the formation of dislocations in corrugated systems, buckling effects in suspended samples, and the changes in the Landau levels due to the interplay between a real magnetic field and the gauge potential induced by ripples.