Magnetoconductance modulations due to interlayer tunneling in radial superlattices

TL;DR

This paper investigates magnetoconductance modulations in radial superlattices caused by interlayer tunneling, revealing an Aharonov-Bohm-like effect in spiral-shaped nanostructures through theoretical modeling.

Contribution

It demonstrates that interlayer tunneling induces magnetoconductance oscillations in radial superlattices, a novel transport phenomenon in these spiral nanostructures.

Findings

Magnetoconductance modulations occur under axial magnetic fields.

Oscillations are due to interlayer hopping between spiral windings.

Theoretical models confirm the Aharonov-Bohm-like effect.

Abstract

Radial superlattices are nanostructured materials obtained by rolling-up thin solid films into spiral-like tubular structures. The formation of these "high-order" superlattices from two-dimensional crystals or ultrathin films is expected to result in a transition of transport characteristics from two-dimensional to one-dimensional. Here, we show that a transport hallmark of radial superlattices is the appearance of magnetoconductance modulations in the presence of externally applied axial magnetic fields. This phenomenon critically relies on electronic interlayer tunneling processes that activates an unconventional Aharonov-Bohm-like effect. Using a combination of density functional theory calculations and low-energy continuum models, we determine the electronic states of a paradigmatic single-material radial superlattice -- a two-winding carbon nanoscroll -- and indeed show momentum-dependent oscillations of the magnetic states in axial configuration, which we demonstrate to be entirely due to hopping between the two windings of the spiral-shaped scroll.