arXiv · 1610.05222
STM driven transition from rippled to buckled graphene in a spin-membrane model
Abstract
We consider a simple spin-membrane model for rippling in graphene. The model exhibits transitions from a flat but rippled membrane to a buckled one. At high temperature the transition is second order but it is first order at low temperature for appropriate strength of the spin-spin coupling. Driving the system across the first order phase transition in nonequilibrium conditions that mimic interaction of the graphene membrane with a STM tip explains recent experiments. In particular, we observe a reversible behavior for small values of the STM current and an irreversible transition from flat rippled membrane to rigid buckled membrane when the current surpasses a critical value. This work opens the possibility to test mechanical properties of graphene under different temperature and electrostatic conditions.
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Miguel Ruiz-Garcia, Luis L. Bonilla, Antonio Prados. 2016-10-17. STM driven transition from rippled to buckled graphene in a spin-membrane model. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.94.205404
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