Negative differential resistance in bilayer graphene nanoribbons

Lack of a bandgap is one of the significant challenges for application of graphene as the active element of an electronic device. A bandgap can be induced in bilayer graphene by application of a potential difference between the two layers. The simplest geometry for creating such a potential difference is two overlayed graphene nanoribbons independently contacted. Calculations, based on density functional theory and the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism, show that transmission through such a structure is a strong function of applied bias. The simulated current voltage characteristics mimic the characteristics of resonant tunneling diode featuring negative differential resistance.

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