Relativistic Artificial Molecules Realized by Two Coupled Graphene Quantum Dots.

Coupled quantum dots (QDs), usually referred to as artificial molecules, are important not only in exploring fundamental physics of coupled quantum objects but also in realizing advanced QD devices. However, previous studies have been limited to artificial molecules with nonrelativistic Fermions. Here, we show that relativistic artificial molecules can be realized when two circular graphene QDs are coupled to each other. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), we observe the formation of bonding and antibonding states of the relativistic artificial molecule and directly visualize these states of the two coupled graphene QDs. The formation of the relativistic molecular states strongly alters distributions of massless Dirac Fermions confined in the graphene QDs. Moreover, our experiment demonstrates that the degeneracy of different angular-momentum states in the relativistic artificial molecule can be further lifted by external magnetic fields. Then, both the bonding and antibonding states are split into two peaks.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of the π Magnetism of a Single Carbon Vacancy in Graphene.

Pristine graphene is strongly diamagnetic. However, graphene with single carbon atom defects could exhibit paramagnetism. Theoretically, the π magnetism induced by the monovacancy in graphene is characteristic of two spin-split density-of-states (DOS) peaks close to the Dirac point. Since its prediction, many experiments have attempted to study this π magnetism in graphene, whereas only a notable resonance peak has been observed around the atomic defects, leaving the π magnetism experimentally elusive. Here, we report direct experimental evidence of π magnetism by using a scanning tunneling microscope. We demonstrate that the localized state of the atomic defects is split into two DOS peaks with energy separations of several tens of meV. Strong magnetic fields further increase the energy separations of the two spin-polarized peaks and lead to a Zeeman-like splitting. Unexpectedly, the effective g factor around the atomic defect is measured to be about 40, which is about 20 times larger than the g factor for electron spins.

Creating one-dimensional nanoscale periodic ripples in a continuous mosaic graphene monolayer.

In previous studies, it has proved difficult to realize periodic graphene ripples with wavelengths of a few nanometers. Here we show that one-dimensional (1D) periodic graphene ripples with wavelengths from 2 nm to tens of nanometers can be implemented in the intrinsic areas of a continuous mosaic (locally N-doped) graphene monolayer by simultaneously using both the thermal strain engineering and the anisotropic surface stress of the Cu substrate. Our result indicates that the constraint imposed at the boundaries between the intrinsic and the N-doped regions play a vital role in creating these 1D ripples. We also demonstrate that the observed rippling modes are beyond the descriptions of continuum mechanics due to the decoupling of graphene's bending and tensional deformations. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements indicate that the nanorippling generates a periodic electronic superlattice and opens a zero-energy gap of about 130 meV in graphene. This result may pave a facile way for tailoring the structures and electronic properties of graphene.