Comment on "Band structure engineering of graphene by strain: First-principles calculations"

TL;DR

This paper refutes previous claims that uniaxial strain opens band gaps in graphene, showing through first-principles calculations that small strains do not induce such gaps, aligning with tight-binding models.

Contribution

It provides new first-principles calculations demonstrating that strain does not open band gaps in graphene, contradicting earlier findings.

Findings

Strain does not open band gaps in graphene at small strains

First-principles calculations align with tight-binding models

Refutes previous claims of strain-induced band gaps

Abstract

In their first-principles calculations of the electronic band structure of graphene under uniaxial strain, Gui, Li, and Zhong [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{78}, 075435 (2008)] have found opening of band gaps at the Fermi level. This finding is in conflict with the tight-binding description of graphene which is closed gap for small strains. In this Comment, we present first-principles calculations which refute the claim that strain opens band gaps in graphene.