Tunable electronic transport and unidirectional quantum wires in graphene subjected to electric and magnetic fields

Yury P. Bliokh, Valentin Freilikher, Franco Nori

Published 2009-10-16, updated 2010-02-08Version 3

Magnetic barriers in graphene are not easily tunable. However, introducing both electric and magnetic fields, provides tunable and far more controllable electronic states in graphene. Here we study such systems. A one-dimensional channel can be formed in graphene using perpendicular electric and magnetic fields. This channel (quantum wire) supports localized electron-hole states, with parameters that can be controlled by an electric field. Such quantum wire offers peculiar conducting properties, like unidirectional conductivity and robustness to disorder. Two separate quantum wires comprise a waveguide with two types of eigenmodes: one type is similar to traditional waveguides, the other type is formed by coupled surface waves propagating along the boundaries of the waveguide.