Electronic and structural characterization of divacancies in irradiated graphene

Abstract

We provide a thorough study of a carbon divacancy, a fundamental but almost unexplored point defect in graphene. Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging of irradiated graphene on different substrates enabled us to identify a common two-fold symmetry point defect. Our first principles calculations reveal that the structure of this type of defect accommodates two adjacent missing atoms in a rearranged atomic network formed by two pentagons and one octagon, with no dangling bonds. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) measurements on divacancies generated in nearly ideal graphene show an electronic spectrum dominated by an empty-states resonance, which is ascribed to a spin-degenerated nearly flat band of $\pi$-electron nature. While the calculated electronic structure rules out the formation of a magnetic moment around the divacancy, the generation of an electronic resonance near the Fermi level, reveals divacancies as key point defects for tuning electron transport properties in graphene systems.

5 pages

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Cited by in corpus (22)

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• Direct imaging of monovacancy-hydrogen complexes in single graphitic layer
• Ion irradiation tolerance of graphene as studied by atomistic simulations
• Strain engineering of magnetic states of vacancy-decorated hexagonal boron nitride
• Electronic states of disordered grain boundaries in graphene prepared by chemical vapor deposition
• Atomic structure and energetics of large vacancies in graphene
• Structural manipulation of the graphene/metal-interface with Ar+ irradiation
• Band Unfolding Made Simple
• Unconventional and Exotic Magnetism in Carbon-Based Structures and Related Materials
• Knock-on damage in bilayer graphene: indications for a catalytic pathway
• Preferential antiferromagnetic coupling of vacancies in graphene on SiO_2: Electron spin resonance and scanning tunneling spectroscopy
• Atomic and Electronic Structure of Si Dangling Bonds in Quasi-Free-Standing Monolayer Graphene
• Divacancy-induced Ferromagnetism in Graphene Nanoribbons
• Chiral condensate with topological degeneracy in graphene and its manifestation in edge states
• Native defects in ultra-high vacuum grown graphene islands on Cu(111)
• Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of point defects in polyaniline (C3N) and graphene monolayers: A comparative study
• Probing divacancy defects in a zigzag graphene nanoribbon through RKKY exchange interaction
• Numerical investigation of the electrical conductivity of irradiated graphene
• Covalent pathways in engineering h-BN supported graphene