Accurate determination of electron-hole asymmetry and next-nearest neighbor hopping in graphene

TL;DR

This paper presents precise measurements of the density of states in graphene, revealing a significant electron-hole asymmetry that allows for an accurate determination of the next-nearest neighbor hopping parameter t', aligning with high-end theoretical estimates.

Contribution

The study provides the first high-precision experimental determination of t' in graphene using capacitance measurements, clarifying its magnitude and impact on electronic phenomena.

Findings

t' approximately -0.30 eV with 15% uncertainty

Density of states shows linear electron-hole asymmetry

Large t' influences phenomena like self-doping and Klein tunneling

Abstract

The next-nearest neighbor hopping term t' determines a magnitude and, hence, importance of several phenomena in graphene, which include self-doping due to broken bonds and the Klein tunneling that in the presence of t' is no longer perfect. Theoretical estimates for t' vary widely whereas a few existing measurements by using polarization resolved magneto-spectroscopy have found surprisingly large t', close or even exceeding highest theoretical values. Here we report dedicated measurements of the density of states in graphene by using high-quality capacitance devices. The density of states exhibits a pronounced electron-hole asymmetry that increases linearly with energy. This behavior yields t' approx -0.30 eV +-15%, in agreement with the high end of theory estimates. We discuss the role of electron-electron interactions in determining t' and overview phenomena which can be influenced by such a large value of t'.