Charge transport in disordered graphene-based low dimensional materials

Abstract

Two-dimensional graphene, carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons represent a novel class of low dimensional materials that could serve as building blocks for future carbon-based nanoelectronics. Although these systems share a similar underlying electronic structure, whose exact details depend on confinement effects, crucial differences emerge when disorder comes into play. In this short review, we consider the transport properties of these materials, with particular emphasis to the case of graphene nanoribbons. After summarizing the electronic and transport properties of defect-free systems, we focus on the effects of a model disorder potential (Anderson-type), and illustrate how transport properties are sensitive to the underlying symmetry. We provide analytical expressions for the elastic mean free path of carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons, and discuss the onset of weak and strong localization regimes, which are genuinely dependent on the transport dimensionality. We also consider the effects of edge disorder and roughness for graphene nanoribbons in relation to their armchair or zigzag orientation.