Critical Delocalization of Chiral Zero Energy Modes in Graphene

TY - JOUR

T1 - Critical Delocalization of Chiral Zero Energy Modes in Graphene

AU - Ferreira, Aires

AU - Mucciolo, Eduardo

N1 - © 2015 American Physical Society.

PY - 2015/9/4

Y1 - 2015/9/4

N2 - Graphene subjected to chiral-symmetric disorder is believed to host zero energy modes (ZEMs) resilient to localization, as suggested by the renormalization group analysis of the underlying nonlinear sigma model. We report accurate quantum transport calculations in honeycomb lattices with in excess of $10^9$ sites and fine meV resolutions. The Kubo dc conductivity of ZEMs induced by vacancy defects (chiral BDI class) is found to match $4e^2/(\pi h)$ within 1% accuracy, over a parametrically wide window of energy level broadenings and vacancy concentrations. Our results disclose an unprecedentedly robust metallic regime in graphene, providing strong evidence that the early field-theoretical picture for the BDI class is valid well beyond its controlled weak-coupling regime.

AB - Graphene subjected to chiral-symmetric disorder is believed to host zero energy modes (ZEMs) resilient to localization, as suggested by the renormalization group analysis of the underlying nonlinear sigma model. We report accurate quantum transport calculations in honeycomb lattices with in excess of $10^9$ sites and fine meV resolutions. The Kubo dc conductivity of ZEMs induced by vacancy defects (chiral BDI class) is found to match $4e^2/(\pi h)$ within 1% accuracy, over a parametrically wide window of energy level broadenings and vacancy concentrations. Our results disclose an unprecedentedly robust metallic regime in graphene, providing strong evidence that the early field-theoretical picture for the BDI class is valid well beyond its controlled weak-coupling regime.

KW - graphene

KW - Anderson localization

KW - chiral orthogonal class

KW - electronic transport

KW - quantum critical points

KW - zero energy modes

KW - quantum transport

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.106601

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.106601

M3 - Letter

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 115

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 10

M1 - 106601

ER -