Ordered states of adatoms on graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that dilute epoxy-bonded adatoms on graphene tend to form a spatially correlated ordered state with an energy gap, driven by electron-mediated interactions modeled by a three-state Potts model.

Contribution

It introduces a novel understanding of adatom ordering on graphene through electron-mediated interactions and a statistical model describing the transition.

Findings

Adatoms induce a gap in graphene's electron spectrum.

Electron-mediated interaction has a $1/r^3$ dependence.

Partial ordering transition described by a three-state Potts model.

Abstract

We show that a dilute ensemble of epoxy-bonded adatoms on graphene has a tendency to form a spatially correlated state accompanied by a gap in graphene's electron spectrum. This effect emerges from the electron-mediated interaction between adatoms with a peculiar $1/r^3$ distance dependence. The partial ordering transition is described by a random bond three state Potts model.