Abstract
The band structures of strained graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are examined using a tight-binding Hamiltonian that is directly related to the type and magnitude of strain. Compared to a two-dimensional graphene whose band gap remains close to zero even if a large strain is applied, the band gap of a graphene nanoribbon (GNR) is sensitive to both uniaxial and shear strains. The effect of strain on the electronic structure of a GNR depends strongly on its edge shape and structural indices. For an armchair GNR, a weak uniaxial strain changes the band gap in a linear fashion, whereas a large strain results in periodic oscillation of the band gap. On the other hand, shear strain always tends to reduce the band gap. For a zigzag GNR, the effect of strain is to change the spin polarization at the edges of GNR, and thereby modulate the band gap. A simple analytical model, which agrees with the numerical results, is proposed to interpret the response of the band gap to strain in armchair GNRs.
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Lu, Y., Guo, J. Band gap of strained graphene nanoribbons. Nano Res. 3, 189–199 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-1022-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-1022-4