Spatial mapping of the Dirac point in monolayer and bilayer graphene

TL;DR

This study uses spatially resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy to map the Dirac point in monolayer and bilayer graphene, revealing energy shifts caused by charged impurities rather than topographic features.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed spatial mapping of the Dirac point in graphene and identifies charged impurities as the main cause of energy shifts.

Findings

Dirac point shifts vary spatially in graphene

No correlation between topography and Dirac point shifts

Charged impurities are the primary cause of energy variation

Abstract

We have mapped the Dirac point in exfoliated monolayer and bilayer graphene using spatially resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) measurements at low temperature. The Dirac point shifts in energy at different locations in graphene. However, a cross correlation with the topography shows no correlation indicating that topographic features such as ripples are not the primary source of the variation. Rather, we attribute the shift of the Dirac point to random charged impurities located near the graphene. Our findings emphasize the need to advance exfoliated graphene sample preparation to minimize the effect of impurities.