Persistence of zero modes in a gauged Dirac model for bilayer graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that zero energy modes in a bilayer graphene Dirac model persist even when gauge field interactions are included, which also stabilize the vortex energy and modify the wave function phase.

Contribution

It extends a bilayer graphene Dirac model by incorporating gauge fields, showing the robustness of zero modes and their modified wave functions.

Findings

Zero modes persist with gauge interactions.

Gauge fields stabilize vortex energy.

Wave function phase is shifted by gauge fields.

Abstract

A recently constructed model for low lying excitations in bilayer graphene exhibits mid-gap, zero energy modes in its Dirac-like spectrum, when a scalar order parameter takes a vortex profile. We show that these modes persist when the dynamics is extended by a gauge field interaction, which also renders finite the vortex energy. The effect of the gauge field on the zero energy wave function is to shift the phase of the (damped) oscillatory component of the wave function in the absence of the gauge field.