Insulator-Metal Transition and Magnetic Crossover in Bilayer Graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that applying an in-plane magnetic field and a transverse electric field to bilayer graphene can induce an insulator-metal transition and switch its magnetic response, enabling control over its electronic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a method to induce and control an insulator-metal transition in bilayer graphene using combined magnetic and electric fields, a novel approach in 2D material engineering.

Findings

Induces insulator-metal transition in bilayer graphene

Orbital magnetic susceptibility switches from diamagnetic to paramagnetic

Proposes experimental strategies for observing the transition

Abstract

In-plane magnetic fields offer a relatively unexplored opportunity to alter the band structure of stacks of 2D materials so that they exhibit desired physical properties. Here we show that an in-plane magnetic field combined with a transverse electric field can induce an insulator-metal (IM) transition in bilayer graphene. Our study of the magnetic response reveals that the orbital magnetic susceptibility changes from diamagnetic to paramagnetic around the transition point. We discuss several strategies to observe the IM transition, switch the diamagnetism, and more generally control the band structure of stacked 2D materials at experimentally accessible magnetic fields.