Dirac spectrum in gated multilayer black phosphorus nanoribbons

Abstract

We investigate the effects of a perpendicular electric field applied to multilayer phosphorene nanoribbons with zigzag and armchair edges. Within the context of the tight-binding model, we explore the electronic properties of these systems giving emphasis to the appearance of Dirac-like spectra, a transition that occurs when the gate density associated with the applied displacement field is greater than the critical value $n_c$. We show that the confinement properties and the screening effects in such systems play an important role on the determination of $n_c$, suggesting a scheme to determine the thickness, width and edge orientation of multilayered phosphorene nanoribbons. We also explore how this transition affects the electronic transport properties of such systems.

6 pages, 5 figures