October 5, 2006 | E. H. Hwang, S. Adam and S. Das Sarma
This paper presents a theoretical study of carrier transport in gated 2D graphene monolayers, focusing on scattering by random charged impurities. The theory shows excellent agreement with experimental data for carrier densities above $10^{12} \, \text{cm}^{-2}$. The conductivity is found to scale linearly with $n/n_i$, showing weak temperature dependence. The observed asymmetry in electron and hole conductivities is attributed to differences in impurity configurations under gate voltage, while high-density saturation is explained as a crossover between long-range and point scattering regimes. The low-density saturation of conductivity is due to inhomogeneity induced by impurities, leading to random puddles of electrons and holes.
Graphene's unique honeycomb structure gives rise to linear Dirac-like dispersion, allowing for high carrier mobility. Theoretical calculations suggest that graphene's mobility could be extremely high, even at room temperature. The paper argues that the dominant scattering mechanism in 2D graphene is Coulomb scattering by impurities, with an estimated impurity concentration of $10^{12} \, \text{cm}^{-2}$. Reducing this could increase mobility to $1.5 \times 10^6 \, \text{cm}^2/\text{Vs}$.
The paper also discusses the effects of short-range scattering and the role of impurities in causing density fluctuations. Using Boltzmann transport theory, the conductivity is calculated as $\sigma = (e^2/h)(2E_F \langle \tau \rangle/\hbar)$, where $\langle \tau \rangle$ is the energy-averaged scattering time. The theory shows good agreement with experimental data, particularly in the regime where conductivity is linear in density. The paper concludes that high-density transport in graphene is dominated by impurity scattering, while low-density behavior is influenced by inhomogeneity and may involve localization or Dirac cone physics. The results highlight the importance of impurities in determining graphene's transport properties.This paper presents a theoretical study of carrier transport in gated 2D graphene monolayers, focusing on scattering by random charged impurities. The theory shows excellent agreement with experimental data for carrier densities above $10^{12} \, \text{cm}^{-2}$. The conductivity is found to scale linearly with $n/n_i$, showing weak temperature dependence. The observed asymmetry in electron and hole conductivities is attributed to differences in impurity configurations under gate voltage, while high-density saturation is explained as a crossover between long-range and point scattering regimes. The low-density saturation of conductivity is due to inhomogeneity induced by impurities, leading to random puddles of electrons and holes.
Graphene's unique honeycomb structure gives rise to linear Dirac-like dispersion, allowing for high carrier mobility. Theoretical calculations suggest that graphene's mobility could be extremely high, even at room temperature. The paper argues that the dominant scattering mechanism in 2D graphene is Coulomb scattering by impurities, with an estimated impurity concentration of $10^{12} \, \text{cm}^{-2}$. Reducing this could increase mobility to $1.5 \times 10^6 \, \text{cm}^2/\text{Vs}$.
The paper also discusses the effects of short-range scattering and the role of impurities in causing density fluctuations. Using Boltzmann transport theory, the conductivity is calculated as $\sigma = (e^2/h)(2E_F \langle \tau \rangle/\hbar)$, where $\langle \tau \rangle$ is the energy-averaged scattering time. The theory shows good agreement with experimental data, particularly in the regime where conductivity is linear in density. The paper concludes that high-density transport in graphene is dominated by impurity scattering, while low-density behavior is influenced by inhomogeneity and may involve localization or Dirac cone physics. The results highlight the importance of impurities in determining graphene's transport properties.