Parity Effects in Few-Layer Graphene Experimentally Confirmed

November 22, 2013

The research group in Okayama University Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology has revealed that electronic properties in few-layer graphenes (FLGs) are dependent on their layer number's parity. FLGs with an even layer number have only parabolic energy dispersions, whereas FLGs with an odd layer number have a linear dispersion besides parabolic ones. This difference leads to a distinct density of states in FLGs, experimentally confirmed by the gatevoltage dependence of the electric double-layer capacitance. Thus, FLGs with an odd layer number are unique materials that have relativistic carriers originating in linear energy dispersion.

This study showed that FLGs with an odd layer number have a linear dispersion, as single-layer graphenes do. Currently, only single-layer graphenes are expected to be super high speed and low power devices with the nature of relativistic carriers, but now FLGs with an odd layer number are expected to be so, too. These findings could lead to the furthering of applied graphene electronics.

The findings were published online on October 10, 2013 in the journal Nano Letters.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl402404z

Authors on the paper are Hidenori Goto, Eri Uesugi, Ritsuko Eguchi and Yoshihiro Kubozono.

Contact Information:
Mototaka Senda, Ph.D.
US Representative
Intellectual Property Office, Organization for Research Promotion and Collaboration, Okayama University
Fremont, California USA
TEL: 1-510-797-0907
Email: [email protected]

Hidenori Goto, Ph.D.
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama Japan