• 文献标题:   Magnetic-field-controlled vacuum charge in graphene quantum dots with a mass gap
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   MAKSYM PA, AOKI H
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   PHYSICAL REVIEW B
  • ISSN:   2469-9950 EI 2469-9969
  • 通讯作者地址:   Univ Leicester
  • 被引频次:   9
  • DOI:   10.1103/PhysRevB.88.081406
  • 出版年:   2013

▎ 摘  要

The effect of a magnetic field on the charged vacuum is investigated. The field dependence of the energy levels causes jumps in the total vacuum charge that occur whenever an energy level crosses the Fermi level, and this leads to reentrant cycles of vacuum charging and discharging. In atomic systems these effects require astrophysical magnetic fields of around 10(8) T, but in graphene with a mass gap they occur in laboratory fields of about 1 T or lower. It is suggested that an electrostatic graphene quantum dot defined by a gate electrode provides a solid state model of the as yet unobserved charged vacuum as well as a model of an atomic system in an extreme astrophysical environment. Phase diagrams are computed to show how the total vacuum charge depends on the confining potential strength and applied magnetic field. The vacuum charge density is also investigated and experimental consequences are discussed.