Observing the quantization of zero mass carriers in graphene

Science. 2009 May 15;324(5929):924-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1171810.

Abstract

Application of a magnetic field to conductors causes the charge carriers to circulate in cyclotron orbits with quantized energies called Landau levels (LLs). These are equally spaced in normal metals and two-dimensional electron gases. In graphene, however, the charge carrier velocity is independent of their energy (like massless photons). Consequently, the LL energies are not equally spaced and include a characteristic zero-energy state (the n = 0 LL). With the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy of graphene grown on silicon carbide, we directly observed the discrete, non-equally-spaced energy-level spectrum of LLs, including the hallmark zero-energy state of graphene. We also detected characteristic magneto-oscillations in the tunneling conductance and mapped the electrostatic potential of graphene by measuring spatial variations in the energy of the n = 0 LL.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.