Graphene nanoribbon-based nanoelectronic and molecular spintronic devices

提案编号：0725566提案名称：石墨烯纳米带基纳米电子和分子自旋电子器件PI名称： Nikolic，BranislavPI机构：特拉华大学这项研究的目的是在理论上模拟围绕石墨烯纳米带构建的纳米电子和纳米自旋电子器件。石墨烯代表密集地填充到蜂窝晶格中的单层碳原子。虽然块状石墨烯是一种零能隙半导体，但它的量子线和量子点表现出电荷和自旋特性，可以通过它们的边缘和尺寸的拓扑结构来操纵。混合和全石墨烯多终端纳米结构中自旋电流和电荷电流的建模方法是基于使用非平衡绿色函数、密度泛函理论和电子-电子相互作用处理的新型计算算法的开发，这些算法在超小型器件需要时超出自洽平均场。最近石墨烯的发现为探索低维电子系统开辟了不可预见的途径，在桌面实验中探测带电中微子的量子电动力学，并建立量子相干碳基纳米电子器件。不像碳纳米管，这是一个卷起的石墨烯片，提出的石墨烯设备将很容易与标准光刻技术集成。此外，它们的超小尺寸和降低的功耗可以为老化的硅技术提供一个可行的替代方案，同时使利用量子干涉效应进行电荷和自旋传输成为可能，即使在室温下也是如此。更广泛的影响：拟议的研究将为研究生和本科生提供量子传输和并行计算技术的良好培训。推广活动将包括暑期学校和创建视觉模拟，通过计算科学课程和网络教授石墨烯中令人兴奋的相对论电子物理学。

Proposal Number: 0725566Proposal Title: Graphene nanoribbon-based nanoelectronic and molecular spintronic devicesPI Name: Nikolic, BranislavPI Institution: University of DelawareThe objective of this research is to model theoretically nanoelectronic and nanospintronic devices built around graphene nanoribbons. Graphene represents a monolayer of carbon atoms densely packed into a honeycomb lattice. Although bulk graphene is a zero-gap semiconductor, its quantum wires and dots exhibit charge and spin properties that can be manipulated through the topology of their edges and their size. The approach to the modeling of spin and charge currents in hybrid and all-graphene multiterminal nanostructures is based on the development of novel computational algorithms using the nonequilibrium Green functions, density functional theory, and electron-electron interaction treatment beyond self-consistent mean field when necessary for ultrasmall devices.Intellectual merit:The recent discovery of graphene has ushered unforeseen avenues to explore low-dimensional electron system, probe quantum electrodynamics of charged neutrinos in table-top experiments, and build quantum-coherent carbon-based nanoelectronic devices. Unlike carbon nanotubes, which are a rolled up sheets of graphene, the proposed graphene devices will be easy to integrate with standard lithographic techniques. Moreover, their ultrasmall size and reduced power consumption could offer a viable alternative to aging silicon technology, whilemaking it possible to exploit quantum interference effects in charge and spin transport, even at room temperature.Broader Impact:The proposed research will offer excellent training for graduate and undergraduate students in quantum transport and parallel computing techniques. The outreach will include summer schools and creation of visual simulations to teach the exciting physics of relativistic electrons in graphene through computational science courses and on the Web.