Dynamic polarization and plasmons in kekulé-patterned graphene: Signatures of the broken valley degeneracy

Abstract

The dynamic polarization for kekulé-patterned graphene is studied within the Random Phase Approximation (RPA). It is shown how the breaking of the valley degeneracy by the lattice modulation is manifested through the dielectric spectrum, the plasmonic dispersion, the static screening and the optical conductivity. The valley-dependent splitting of the Fermi velocities due to the kekulé distortion leads to a similar splitting in the dielectric spectrum of graphene, introducing new characteristic frequencies, which are given in terms of the valley-coupling amplitude. The valley coupling also splits the plasmonic dispersion, introducing a second branch in the Landau damping region. Finally, the signatures of the broken valley degeneracy in the optical conductivity are studied. The characteristic step-like spectrum of graphene is split into two half steps due to the onset of absorption in each valley occurring at different characteristic frequencies. Also, it was found an absorption phenomenon where a resonance peak related to intervalley transport emerges at a "beat frequency", determined by the difference between the characteristic frequencies of each valley. Some of these mechanisms are expected to be present in other space-modulated 2D materials and suggest how optical or electrical response measurements can be suitable to detect spatial modulation.