Mesoscopic Klein-Schwinger effect in graphene
arXiv:2207.13400 · doi:10.1038/s41567-023-01978-9
Abstract
Strong electric field annihilation by particle-antiparticle pair creation, also known as the Schwinger effect, is a non-perturbative prediction of quantum electrodynamics. Its experimental demonstration remains elusive, as threshold electric fields are extremely strong and beyond current reach. Here, we propose a mesoscopic variant of the Schwinger effect in graphene, which hosts Dirac fermions with an approximate electron-hole symmetry. Using transport measurements, we report on universal 1d-Schwinger conductance at the pinchoff of ballistic graphene transistors. Strong pinchoff electric fields are concentrated within approximately 1 m of the transistor's drain, and induce Schwinger electron-hole pair creation at saturation. This effect precedes a collective instability toward an ohmic Zener regime, which is rejected at twice the pinchoff voltage in long devices. These observations advance our understanding of current saturation limits in ballistic graphene and provide a direction for further quantum electrodynamic experiments in the laboratory.
39 pages, 13 figures, final version with extended discussion of the pinchoff effect in supplementary informations, abstract updated
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- Relativistic Quantum Kinetic Theory: Higher order contributions in assisted Schwinger pair production
- An algorithm for exact analytical solutions for tilted anisotropic Dirac materials
- Derivation of the deformed Heisenberg algebra from discrete spacetime
- Observation of Analogue Dynamic Schwinger Effect and Non-Perturbative Light Sensing in Lead Halide Perovskites
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- How physics got its right hand: The origins of chiral conventions in electromagnetism
- Vacuum Pair Creation in Spin Noncommutative of Coordinates: Volkov Background and Constant Electric Field
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