Tuning electronic properties of corrugated graphene: confinement, curvature and band gap opening

TL;DR

This paper investigates how surface curvature and confinement in corrugated graphene influence its electronic properties, including band gap opening and p-n junction formation, through a relativistic dynamics framework and membrane modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework linking surface curvature to electronic phenomena in graphene, including a derivation of constrained relativistic dynamics and bending free energy.

Findings

Curvature induces p-n junctions in graphene.

Surface curvature can open a band gap in graphene.

Graphene behaves as a soft electronic membrane with bending energy.

Abstract

It is shown that for monolayer graphene electrons are confined on a perfect two dimensional surface. The implications for the electronic properties of corrugated graphene are discussed in view of a derivation of the constrained relativistic dynamics for the massless carriers in two dimensions. Surface curvature is related to a series of phenomena with practical applications such as curvature induced p-n junctions, band gap opening and decoherence. We also establish a bending free energy by treating graphene as a soft electronic membrane.