Effects of lattice defects in graphene on the scattering of Charge Carriers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how topological lattice defects like holes, pentagons, and heptagons in graphene influence charge carrier scattering, revealing that certain defects minimally affect resistivity while others cause angle-dependent scattering detectable via interference experiments.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of charge carrier scattering by topological defects in graphene, highlighting the different effects of holes, pentagons, and heptagons on electron transport and interference patterns.

Findings

Holes have negligible impact on resistivity at low concentrations.

Pentagons cause angle-dependent scattering detectable through interference.

Heptagons lead to divergence of current, preventing interference.

Abstract

We study the scattering of graphene quasiparticles by topological defects, represented by holes, pentagons and heptagons. For the case of holes, we obtain the phase shift and found that at low concentration they appear to be irrelevant for the electron transport, giving a negligible contribution to the resistivity. Whenever pentagons are introduced into the lattice and the fermionic current is constrained to move near one of them we realize that such a current is scattered with an angle that depends only on the number of pentagons and on the side the current taken. Such a deviation may be determined by means of a Young-type experiment, through the interference pattern between the two current branches scattered by a pentagon. In the case of a heptagon such a current is also scattered but it diverges from the defect, preventing a interference between two beams of current for the same heptagon.