Snake States in Graphene p-n Junctions

TL;DR

This paper explores snake states in graphene p-n junctions, demonstrating their experimental signatures and stability, which could impact future graphene-based electronic devices.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of snake states in graphene p-n junctions and discusses their behavior and stability under various conditions.

Findings

Snake states cause a peak in transverse resistance along the p-n interface.

Resistance across the interface increases while along it decreases in the p-n regime.

Snake states remain stable as perpendicular magnetic field approaches zero.

Abstract

We investigate transport in locally-gated graphene devices, where carriers are injected and collected along, rather than across, the gate edge. Tuning densities into the p-n regime significantly reduces resistance along the p-n interface, while resistance across the interface increases. This provides an experimental signature of snake states, which zig-zag along the p-n interface and remain stable as applied perpendicular magnetic field approaches zero. Snake states appear as a peak in transverse resistance measured along the p-n interface. The generic role of snake states disordered graphene is also discussed.