Bubbles in graphene - a computational study

TL;DR

This study uses computational methods to analyze how strain-induced deformations, like gas-inflated bubbles, affect the electronic properties of graphene, revealing conditions for pseudomagnetic field signatures in local density of states.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of how different bubble geometries in graphene influence pseudomagnetic fields and local electronic signatures.

Findings

Sharp-edged bubbles induce Friedel oscillations.

Certain bubble shapes can envelope pseudo-Landau levels.

Minimizing interference effects reduces pseudo-Landau level formation.

Abstract

Strain-induced deformations in graphene are predicted to give rise to large pseudomagnetic fields. We examine theoretically the case of gas-inflated bubbles to determine whether signatures of such fields are present in the local density of states. Sharp-edged bubbles are found to induce Friedel-type oscillations which can envelope pseudo-Landau level features in certain regions of the bubble. However, bubbles which minimise interference effects are also unsuitable for pseudo-Landau level formation due to more spatially varying field profiles.