Massless Dirac fermions in graphene under an external periodic magnetic field

J Phys Condens Matter. 2013 Oct 2;25(39):395302. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/25/39/395302. Epub 2013 Sep 3.

Abstract

By solving the two-component spinor equation for massless Dirac fermions, we show that graphene under a periodic external magnetic field exhibits a unique energy spectrum. At low energies, Dirac fermions are localized inside the magnetic region with discrete Landau energy levels, while at higher energies, Dirac fermions are mainly found in non-magnetic regions with continuous energy bands originating from wavefunctions analogous to particle-in-box states of electrons. These findings offer a new methodology for the control and tuning of massless Dirac fermions in graphene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't