Range and correlation effects in edge disordered graphene nanoribbons

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the impact of edge disorder on the transport properties of graphene nanoribbons with zigzag and armchair symmetries. The diffusive and localization conduction regimes are analysed by performing a mesoscopic study on long disordered ribbons and by extracting elastic mean free paths and localization lengths. At fixed defect density and depending on specific edge disorder profile and ribbon symmetry, we observe strong transport fluctuations resulting in large mobility gaps or robust quasiballistic transport. These features are shown to be connected with the topology of edge irregularities as well as their correlation degree. Zigzag nanoribbons are also shown to be more robust than armchairs for similar disorder parameters. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.