Potential-driven eddy current in rippled graphene nanoribbons

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel mechanism for generating nano-scale eddy currents in rippled graphene nanoribbons driven solely by electric potential, revealing quantum interference effects that produce vortices.

Contribution

It demonstrates that electric potential alone can induce eddy currents and vortices in rippled graphene nanoribbons, highlighting nonlocal quantum interference effects.

Findings

Electric potential can generate eddy currents in rippled GNRs.

Local deformation induces global vortices in GNRs.

Quantum interference causes vortices even in flat regions.

Abstract

It is well known that an eddy current will be induced in a conductor subject to a varying magnetic field. Here we propose another mechanism of generating nano-scale eddy current in rippled graphene nanoribbons(GNRs), which is only driven by an electric potential. In particular, it is found that under appropriate gate voltages, a local deformation may induce some unexpected global eddy currents, which form vortices in both rippled and entire flat areas of the GNR. We will explain that these vortices in flat areas is a manifestation of the nonlocality of quantum interference.