Interlayer interaction and electronic screening in multilayer graphene

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electronic structure of multilayer graphene, revealing how interlayer interactions and screening effects influence its band structure and transition from 2D to quasi-2D behavior.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the pi bands, layer-dependent carrier concentration, screening length, and interlayer interaction in multilayer graphene using angle-resolved photoemission and tight binding models.

Findings

Characterization of pi band shape and splitting

Layer-dependent carrier concentration and screening length

Transition from 2D to quasi-2D electronic behavior

Abstract

The unusual transport properties of graphene are the direct consequence of a peculiar bandstructure near the Dirac point. We determine the shape of the pi bands and their characteristic splitting, and the transition from a pure 2D to quasi-2D behavior for 1 to 4 layers of graphene by angle-resolved photoemission. By exploiting the sensitivity of the pi bands to the electronic potential, we derive the layer-dependent carrier concentration, screening length and strength of interlayer interaction by comparison with tight binding calculations, yielding a comprehensive description of multilayer graphene's electronic structure.