Enhanced current rectification in graphene nanoribbons: Effects of geometries and orientations of nanopores

TL;DR

This paper explores how introducing nanopores with specific shapes and orientations in graphene nanoribbons can induce and control current rectification, offering a new approach for electronic device design.

Contribution

It demonstrates that nanopore geometry and orientation critically influence rectification in GNRs, providing a novel method to achieve current rectification in nanomaterials.

Findings

Shape and orientation of nanopores affect rectification efficiency

Fermi energy significantly influences rectification degree

Nanopore size and electrostatic potential profiles impact current flow

Abstract

We discuss the possibility of getting rectification operation in graphene nanoribbon (GNR). For a system to be a rectifier, it must be physically asymmetric and we induce the asymmetry in GNR by introducing nanopores. The rectification properties are discussed for differently structured nanopores. We find that shape and orientation of the nanopores are critical and sensitive to the degree of current rectification. As the choice of Fermi energy is crucial for obtaining significant current rectification, explicit dependence of Fermi energy on the degree of current rectification is also studied for a particular shape of the nanopore. Finally, the role of nanopore size and different spatial distributions of the electrostatic potential profile across the GNR are discussed. Given the simplicity of the proposed method and promising results, the present proposition may lead to a new route of getting current rectification in different kinds of materials where nanopores can be formed selectively.