Kamal Krishna Saha

DNA Base-Specific Modulation of Microampere Transverse Edge Currents through a Metallic Graphene Nanoribbon with a Nanopore

We study two-terminal devices for DNA sequencing that consist of a metallic graphene nanoribbon with zigzag edges (ZGNR) and a nanopore in its interior through which the DNA molecule is translocated. Using the nonequilibrium Green functions combined with density functional theory, we demonstrate that each of the four DNA nucleobases inserted into the nanopore, whose edge carbon atoms are passivated by either hydrogen or nitrogen, will lead to a unique change in the device conductance. Unlike other recent biosensors based on transverse electronic transport through translocated DNA, which utilize small (of the order of pA) tunneling current across a nanogap or a nanopore yielding a poor signal-to-noise ratio, our device concept relies on the fact that in ZGNRs local current density is peaked around the edges so that drilling a nanopore away from the edges will not diminish the conductance. Inserting a nucleobase into the nanopore affects the charge density in the surrounding area, thereby modulating edge conduction currents whose magnitude is of the order of microampere at bias voltage 0.1 V. The proposed biosensors are not limited to ZGNRs and they could be realized with other nanowires supporting transverse edge currents, such as chiral GNRs or wires made of two-dimensional topological insulators.

First-principles quantum transport modeling of thermoelectricity in single-molecule nanojunctions with graphene nanoribbon electrodes

We overview the nonequilibrium Green function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT) approach to modeling of independent electronic and phononic quantum transport in nanoscale thermoelectrics with examples focused on a new class of devices where a single organic molecule is attached to two metallic zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) via highly transparent contacts. Such contacts make possible injection of evanescent wavefunctions from the ZGNR electrodes, so that their overlap within the molecular region generates a peak in the electronic transmission around the Fermi energy of the device. Additionally, the spatial symmetry properties of the transverse propagating states in the semi-infinite ZGNR electrodes suppress hole-like contributions to the thermopower. Thus optimized thermopower, together with diminished phonon thermal conductance in a ZGNR|molecule|ZGNR inhomogeneous heterojunctions, yields the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT≃0.4 at room temperature with maximum ZT≃3 reached at very low temperatures T≃10 K (so that the latter feature could be exploited for thermoelectric cooling of, e.g., infrared sensors). The reliance on evanescent mode transport and symmetry of propagating states in the electrodes makes the electronic-transport-determined power factor in this class of devices largely insensitive to the type of sufficiently short organic molecule, which we demonstrate by showing that both 18-annulene and C10 molecule sandwiched by the two ZGNR electrodes yield similar thermopower. Thus, one can search for molecules that will further reduce the phonon thermal conductance (in the denominator of ZT) while keeping the electronic power factor (in the nominator of ZT) optimized. We also show how the often employed Brenner empirical interatomic potential for hydrocarbon systems fails to describe phonon transport in our single-molecule nanojunctions when contrasted with first-principles results obtained via NEGF-DFT methodology.

Multiterminal single-molecule–graphene-nanoribbon junctions with the thermoelectric figure of merit optimized via evanescent mode transport and gate voltage

We study thermoelectric devices where a single 18-annulene molecule is connected to metallic zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNR) via highly transparent contacts that allow for injection of evanescent wave functions from ZGNRs into the molecular ring. Their overlap generates a peak in the electronic transmission, while ZGNRs additionally suppress hole-like contributions to the thermopower. Thus optimized thermopower, together with suppression of phonon transport through ZGNR-molecule-ZGNR structure, yield the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT ∼ 0.5 at room temperature and 0.5 < ZT < 2.5 below liquid nitrogen temperature. Using the nonequilibrium Green function formalism combined with density functional theory, recently extended to multiterminal devices, we show how the transmission resonance can also be manipulated by the voltage applied to a third ZGNR electrode, acting as the top gate covering molecular ring, to tune the value of ZT .

First-principles methodology for quantum transport in multiterminal junctions

We present a generalized approach for computing electron conductance and I-V characteristics in multiterminal junctions from first-principles. Within the framework of Keldysh theory, electron transmission is evaluated employing an O(N) method for electronic-structure calculations. The nonequilibrium Green function for the nonequilibrium electron density of the multiterminal junction is computed self-consistently by solving Poisson equation after applying a realistic bias. We illustrate the suitability of the method on two examples of four-terminal systems, a radialene molecule connected to carbon chains and two crossed-carbon chains brought together closer and closer. We describe charge density, potential profile, and transmission of electrons between any two terminals. Finally, we discuss the applicability of this technique to study complex electronic devices.

Negative differential resistance in graphene-nanoribbon---carbon-nanotube crossbars: a first-principles multiterminal quantum transport study

We simulate quantum transport between a graphene nanoribbon (GNR) and a single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) where electrons traverse vacuum gap between them. The GNR covers CNT over a nanoscale region while their relative rotation is 90∘, thereby forming a four-terminal crossbar where the bias voltage is applied between CNT and GNR terminals. The CNT and GNR are chosen as either semiconducting (s) or metallic (m) based on whether their two-terminal conductance exhibits a gap as a function of the Fermi energy or not, respectively. We find nonlinear current-voltage (I–V) characteristics in all three investigated devices—mGNR-sCNT, sGNR-sCNT and mGNR-mCNT crossbars—which are asymmetric with respect to changing the bias voltage from positive to negative. Furthermore, the I–V characteristics of mGNR-sCNT crossbar exhibits negative differential resistance (NDR) with low onset voltage VNDR≃0.25 V and peak-to-valley current ratio ≃2.0. The overlap region of the crossbars contains only ≃460 carbon and hydrogen atoms which paves the way for nanoelectronic devices ultrascaled well below the smallest horizontal length scale envisioned by the international technology roadmap for semiconductors. Our analysis is based on the nonequilibrium Green function formalism combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT), where we also provide an overview of recent extensions of NEGF-DFT framework (originally developed for two-terminal devices) to multiterminal devices.

Optical properties of perovskite alkaline-earth titanates: a formulation

In this communication we suggest a formulation of the optical conductivity as a convolution of an energy-resolved joint density of states and an energy-frequency labelled transition rate. Our final aim is to develop a scheme based on the augmented space recursion for random systems. In order to gain confidence in our formulation, we apply the formulation to three alkaline-earth titanates, CaTiO3, SrTiO3 and BaTiO3, and compare our results with available data on optical properties of these systems.

Optical properties of random alloys: application to CuAu and NiPt

In an earlier paper we presented a formulation for the calculation of the configuration-averaged optical conductivity in random alloys. Our formulation is based on the augmented-space theorem introduced by one of us (Mookerjee 1973 J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 6 1340). In this communication we shall combine the augmented space methodology with the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital technique (TB-LMTO) to study the optical conductivities of two alloys, CuAu and NiPt.

Electronic Properties of High-Performance Capacitor Materials and Nanoscale Multiterminal Devices

Recent advances in theoretical methods combined with the advent of massively-parallel supercomputers allow one to reliably simulate the properties of complex materials and device structures from first principles. We describe applications in two general areas: (i) novel ferroelectric oxide-polymer composites for ultrahigh power density capacitors, necessary for pulsed power applications, such as electric discharges, power conditioning, and dense electronic circuitry, and (ii) electron transport properties of ballistic, multi-terminal molecular devices, which could form the basis for ultraspeed electronics and spintronics. For capacitor materials, we investigate the dielectric properties of PbTiO3 slabs and polypropylene/PbTiO3 nanocomposites. We evaluate both the optical and static local dielectric permittivity profiles for isolated PbTiO3 slabs and across the polypropylene/PbTiO3 interface. For thin ferroelectric slabs, we find that in order to maintain the ferroelectric structure, it is necessary to introduce compensating surface charges. Our results show that: (i) the surface-and interface-induced modifications to dielectric permittivity in polymer/metal-oxide composites are localized to only a few atomic layers; (ii) the interface effects are mainly confined to the metal-oxide side; and (iii) metal-oxide particles larger than a few nanometers retain the average macroscopic value of bulk dielectric permittivity. Turning to nanoelectronic devices, we investigate ballistic electron transport through a paradigmatic four-terminal molecular electronic device. In contrast to a conventional two-terminal setup, the same organic molecule placed between four electrodes exhibits new properties, such as a pronounced negative differential resistance.

Electronic structure and response functions in random alloys: an application of block recursion and Green matrices

We present here a generalization of the recursion method of Haydock et al (1972 J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 5 2845) for the calculation of Green matrices (in angular momentum space). Earlier approaches concentrated on the diagonal elements, since the focus was on spectral densities. However, calculations of configuration averaged response functions or neutron scattering cross-sections require the entire Green matrices and self-energy matrices obtained from them. This necessitated the generalization of the recursion method presented here, with examples.

Symmetry reduction in the augmented space recursion formalism for random binary alloys

We present here an efficient method which systematically reduces the rank of the augmented space and thereby helps to implement augmented space recursion for any real calculation. Our method is based on the symmetry of the Hamiltonian in the augmented space and keeping recursion basis vectors in the irreducible subspace of the Hilbert space.