TY - JOUR

T1 - Multilayer graphenes with mixed stacking structure: Interplay of Bernal and rhombohedral stacking

AU - Koshino, Mikito

AU - McCann, Edward

N1 - ©2013 American Physical Society

PY - 2013/1/22

Y1 - 2013/1/22

N2 - We study the electronic structure of multilayer graphenes with a mixture of Bernal and rhombohedral stacking and propose a general scheme to understand the electronic band structure of an arbitrary configuration. The system can be viewed as a series of finite Bernal graphite sections connected by stacking faults. We find that the low-energy eigenstates are mostly localized in each Bernal section, and, thus, the whole spectrum is well approximated by a collection of the spectra of independent sections. The energy spectrum is categorized into linear, quadratic, and cubic bands corresponding to specific eigenstates of Bernal sections. The ensemble-averaged spectrum exhibits a number of characteristic discrete structures originating from finite Bernal sections or their combinations likely to appear in a random configuration. In the low-energy region, in particular, the spectrum is dominated by frequently appearing linear bands and quadratic bands with special band velocities or curvatures. In the higher-energy region, band edges frequently appear at some particular energies, giving optical absorption edges at the corresponding characteristic photon frequencies.

AB - We study the electronic structure of multilayer graphenes with a mixture of Bernal and rhombohedral stacking and propose a general scheme to understand the electronic band structure of an arbitrary configuration. The system can be viewed as a series of finite Bernal graphite sections connected by stacking faults. We find that the low-energy eigenstates are mostly localized in each Bernal section, and, thus, the whole spectrum is well approximated by a collection of the spectra of independent sections. The energy spectrum is categorized into linear, quadratic, and cubic bands corresponding to specific eigenstates of Bernal sections. The ensemble-averaged spectrum exhibits a number of characteristic discrete structures originating from finite Bernal sections or their combinations likely to appear in a random configuration. In the low-energy region, in particular, the spectrum is dominated by frequently appearing linear bands and quadratic bands with special band velocities or curvatures. In the higher-energy region, band edges frequently appear at some particular energies, giving optical absorption edges at the corresponding characteristic photon frequencies.

KW - graphene

KW - theory

KW - multilayer

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.045420

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.045420

M3 - Journal article

VL - 87

JO - Physical review B

JF - Physical review B

SN - 1098-0121

IS - 4

M1 - 045420

ER -