Strain-induced conduction gap in vertical devices made of twisted graphene layers

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that applying small uniaxial strain to twisted graphene layers in vertical devices can induce a sizable conduction gap, enhancing their potential for electronic and sensing applications.

Contribution

The paper reveals how uniaxial strain can be used to control the conduction gap in twisted graphene devices, providing a new method for tuning their electronic properties.

Findings

Finite conduction gap up to a few hundred meV with small strain

Modulation of conductance and enhancement of Seebeck coefficient

Dependence of gap on strain strength, direction, and twist angle

Abstract

We investigate the effects of uniaxial strain on the transport properties of vertical devices made of two twisted graphene layers, which partially overlap each other. We find that because of the different orientations of the two graphene lattices, their Dirac points can be displaced and separated in the $k-$space by the effects of strain. Hence, a finite conduction gap as large as a few hundred meV can be obtained in the device with a small strain of only a few percent. The dependence of this conduction gap on the strain strength, strain direction, transport direction and twist angle are clarified and presented. On this basis, the strong modulation of conductance and significant improvement of Seebeck coefficient are shown. The suggested devices therefore may be very promising for improving applications of graphene, e.g., as transistors or strain and thermal sensors.