Strain-induced pseudomagnetic field in Dirac semimetal borophene

TL;DR

This paper develops a tight-binding model for borophene, demonstrating that strain can induce pseudomagnetic fields affecting Dirac fermions, with potential implications for electronic properties.

Contribution

The study introduces a model showing how strain induces pseudomagnetic fields in borophene, revealing symmetry-protected Dirac points and their strain-dependent potentials.

Findings

Strain induces pseudomagnetic fields in borophene.

Dirac points are protected by symmetry.

Strain-dependent scalar and vector potentials are calculated.

Abstract

A tight-binding model of 8-Pmmn borophene, a two-dimensional boron crystal, is developed. We confirm that the crystal hosts massless Dirac fermions and the Dirac points are protected by symmetry. Strain is introduced into the model, and it is shown to induce a pseudomagnetic field vector potential and a scalar potential. The dependence of the potentials on the strain tensor is calculated. The physical effects controlled by pseudomagnetic field are discussed.