arXiv subjects

Pedro Roman-Taboada

Publications and source records attributed to Pedro Roman-Taboada.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Excitons in twisted AA' hexagonal boron nitride bilayers

The twisted hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) bilayer has demonstrated exceptional properties, particularly the existence of electronic flat bands without needing a magic angle, suggesting strong excitonic effects. Therefore, a systematic approach is presented to study the excitonic properties of twisted AA' hBN using the Bethe-Salpeter equation based on single-particle tight-binding wave functions. These are provided by a one-particle Hamiltonian that is parameterized to describe the main features of {\it ab initio} calculations. The Bethe-Salpeter equation is then solved in the so-called excitonic transition representation, which significantly reduces the problem dimensionality by exploiting the system's symmetries. Consequently, the excitonic energies and the excitonic wave functions are obtained from the direct diagonalization of the effective two-particle Hamiltonian of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. We have studied rotation angles as low as $7.34^{\circ}$. The model allows the study of commensurate and incommensurate moir\'e patterns at much lower computational cost than the {\it ab initio} version of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. Here, using the model and effective screening of the Keldysh type, we could obtain the absorption spectra and characterize the excitonic properties of twisted hBN bilayers for different rotation angles, demonstrating how this property affects the excitonic energies and localizations of their wavefunctions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Landauer-Büttiker conductivity for spatially-dependent uniaxial strained armchair-terminated graphene nanoribbons

The Landauer-Büttiker conductivity of arbitrary uniaxial spatially dependent strain in an armchair graphene nanoribbon is studied. Due to the uniaxial character of the strain, the corresponding transfer matrix can be reduced to a product of $2\times2$ matrices. Then the conductivity and the Fano factor can be calculated from this product. As an example of the technique, sinusoidal space dependent strain fields are studied using two different strain wavelengths. For the bigger wavelength the conductivity is reduced when compared with the unstrained case, although both conductivities are almost the same in shape. Whereas, for the smaller wavelength case, the conductivity is strongly modified. In spite of this, for energies close to the Dirac point energy, the conductivity and the Fano factor are quite similar to their unstrained counterpart for the two strain wavelengths here studied.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Topological phase-diagram of time-periodically rippled zigzag graphene nanoribbons

The topological properties of electronic edge states in time-periodically driven spatially-periodic corrugated zigzag graphene nanoribbons are studied. An effective one-dimensional Hamiltonian is used to describe the electronic properties of graphene and the time-dependence is studied within the Floquet formalism. Then the quasienergy spectrum of the evolution operator is obtained using analytical and numeric calculations, both in excellent agreement. Depending on the external parameters of the time-driving, two different kinds (type I and type II) of touching band points are found, which have a Dirac-like nature at both zero and $\pmπ$ quasienergy. These touching band points are able to host topologically protected edge states for a finite size system. The topological nature of such edge states was confirmed by an explicit evaluation of the Berry phase in the neighborhood of type I touching band points and by obtaining the winding number of the effective Hamiltonian for type II touching band points. Additionally, the topological phase diagram in terms of the driving parameters of the system was built.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Topological edge states on time-periodically strained armchair graphene nanoribbons

We report the emergence of electronic edge states in time-periodically driven strained armchair terminated graphene nanoribbons. This is done by considering a short-pulse spatial-periodic strain field. Then, the tight-binding Hamiltonian of the system is mapped into a one dimensional ladder. The time periodicity is considered within the Floquet formalism. Thus the quasienergy spectrum is found numerically by diagonalizing the evolution operator. For some particular cases, the quasienergy spectrum is found analytically. We find that the system is able to support gapless and gapped phases. Very different edge states emerge for both the gapless and the gapful phases. In the case of the gapped phase, edge states emerge at the gap centered at zero quasienergy, although the Chern number is zero due to the chiral symmetry of the system. For the gapless phase, besides edge states at zero quasienergy, cosine like edge states which merge and coexist with the bulk band are observed. To confirm the topological nature of these edge states, we analytically obtained the effective Hamiltonian and its spectrum for a particular case, finding that the edge states are topologically weak. Finally, we found analytically the evolution of band edges and its crossings as a function of the driven period. Topological modes arise at such crossings.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Topological flat bands in time-periodically driven uniaxial strained graphene nanoribbons

We study the emergence of electronic non-trivial topological flat bands in time-periodically driven strained graphene within a tight binding approach based on the Floquet formalism. In particular, we focus on uniaxial spatially periodic strain since it can be mapped onto an effective one-dimensional system. Also, two kinds of time-periodic driving are considered: a short pulse (delta kicking) and a sinusoidal variation (harmonic driving). We prove that for special strain wavelengths, the system is described by a two level Dirac Hamiltonian. Even though the study case is gapless, we find that topologically non-trivial flat bands emerge not only at zero-quasienergy but also at $\pmπ$ quasienergy, the latter being a direct consequence of the periodicity of the Floquet space. Both kind of flat bands are thus understood as dispersionless bands joining two inequivalent touching band points with opposite Berry phase. This is confirmed by explicit evaluation of the Berry phase in the touching band points' neighborhood. Using that information, the topological phase diagram of the system is built. Additionally, the experimental feasibility of the model is discussed and two methods for the experimental realization of our model are proposed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Spectral butterfly and electronic localization in rippled-graphene nanorribons: mapping onto effective one-dimensional chains

We report an exact map into one dimensional effective chains, of the tight-binding Hamiltonian for electrons in armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons with any uniaxial ripple. This mapping is used for studying the effect of uniaxial periodic ripples, taking into account the relative orientation changes between $π$ orbitals. Such effects are important for short wavelength ripples, while for long-wave ones, the system behaves nearly as strained graphene. The spectrum has a complex nature, akin to the Hofstadter butterfly with a rich localization behavior. Gaps at the Fermi level and dispersionless bands were observed, as well. The complex features of the spectrum arise as a consequence of the quasiperiodic or periodic nature of the effective one dimensional system. Some features of these systems are understandable by considering weakly coupled dimers. The eigenenergies of such dimers are highly degenerated and the net effect of the ripple can be seen as a perturbation potential that splits the energy spectrum. Several particular cases were analytically solved to understand such feature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Spectral butterfly, mixed Dirac-Schrödinger fermion behavior and topological states in armchair uniaxial strained graphene

An exact mapping of the tight-binding Hamiltonian for a graphene's nanoribbon under any armchair uniaxial strain into an effective one-dimensional system is presented. As an application, for a periodic modulation we have found a gap opening at the Fermi level and a complex fractal spectrum, akin to the Hofstadter butterfly resulting from the Harper model. The latter can be explained by the commensurability or incommensurability nature of the resulting effective potential. When compared with the zig-zag uniaxial periodic strain, the spectrum shows much bigger gaps, although in general the states have a more extended nature. For a special critical value of the strain amplitude and wavelength, a gap is open. At this critical point, the electrons behave as relativistic Dirac femions in one direction, while in the other, a non-relativistic Schrödinger behavior is observed. Also, some topological states were observed which have the particularity of not being completly edge states since they present some amplitude in the bulk. However, these are edge states of the effective system due to a reduced dimensionality through decoupling. These states also present the fractal Chern beating observed recently in quasiperiodic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Mapping of strained graphene into one-dimensional Hamiltonians: quasicrystals and modulated crystals

The electronic properties of graphene under any arbitrary uniaxial strain field are obtained by an exact mapping of the corresponding tight-binding Hamiltonian into an effective one-dimensional modulated chain. For a periodic modulation, the system displays a rich behavior, including quasicrystals and modulated crystals with a complex spectrum, gaps at the Fermi energy and interesting localization properties. These features are explained by the incommensurate or commensurate nature of the potential, which leads to a dense filling of the reciprocal space in the former case. Thus, the usual perturbation theory approach breaks down in some cases, as is proved by analyzing a special momentum that uncouples the model into dimers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗