Oleg L. Berman

Magnetoplasmons in layered graphene structures

We calculate the dispersion equations for magnetoplasmons in a single layer, a pair of parallel layers, a graphite bilayer, and a superlattice of graphene layers in a perpendicular magnetic field. We demonstrate the feasibility of a drift-induced instability of magnetoplasmons. The magnetoplasmon instability in a superlattice is enhanced compared to a single graphene layer. The energies of the unstable magnetoplasmons could be in the terahertz (THz) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The enhanced instability makes superlattice graphene a potential source of THz radiation.

Phase transitions of electron-hole and unbalanced electron systems in coupled quantum wells in high magnetic fields

Superfluidity of spatially separated electrons and holes and unbalanced two-layer electron system in high magnetic field is considered. The temperature of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition to a superfluid state is obtained as a function of magnetic field and interlayer separation. The equation of state for magnetoexciton system in quasi-classical regime is analyzed. The transition from excitonic phase to electron-hole phase is considered. Possible experimental manifestations of the predicted effects are briefly discussed.

Graphene-based one-dimensional photonic crystal

A novel type of one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal formed by an array of periodically located stacks of alternating graphene and dielectric stripes embedded into a background dielectric medium is proposed. The wave equation for the electromagnetic wave propagating in such a structure is solved in the framework of the Kronig-Penney model. The frequency band structure of the 1D graphene-based photonic crystal is obtained analytically as a function of the filling factor and the thickness of the dielectric between the graphene stripes. The photonic frequency corresponding to the electromagnetic wave localized by a defect of the photonic crystal formed by an extra dielectric placed in the position of one stack of alternating graphene and dielectric stripes is obtained.

Collective properties of indirect excitons in coupled quantum wells in a random field

The influence of a random field induced by impurities, boundary irregularities etc. on the superfluidity of a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) system of spatially indirect excitons in coupled quantum wells is studied. The interaction between excitons is taken into account in the ladder approximation. The random field is allowed to be large compared to the dipole-dipole repulsion between excitons. The coherent potential approximation (CPA) allows us to derive the exciton Green’s function for a wide range of the random field, and the CPA results are used in the weak-scattering limit, which results in the second-order Born approximation. The Green’s function of the collective excitations for the cases of (1) equal electron and hole masses and (2) the “heavy hole” limit are derived analytically. For quasi-two-dimensional excitonic systems, the density of the superfluid component and the Kosterlitz-Thouless temperature of the superfluid phase transition are obtained, and are found to decrease as the random field increases. This puts constraints on the experimental efforts to observe excitonic superfluidity.

Theory of Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity of two-dimensional polaritons in an in-plane harmonic potential

Recent experiments have shown that it is possible to create an in-plane harmonic potential trap for a two-dimensional (2D) gas of exciton polaritons in a microcavity structure, and evidence has been reported of Bose-Einstein condensation of polaritons accumulated in this type of trap. We present here the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and superfluidity of the exciton polaritons in a harmonic potential trap. Along the way, we determine a general method for defining the superfluid fraction in a 2D trap, in terms of angular momentum representation. We show that in the continuum limit, as the trap becomes shallower, the superfluid fraction approaches the 2D Kosterlitz-Thouless limit, while the condensate fraction approaches zero, as expected.

Graphene-based photonic crystal

A novel type of photonic crystal formed by embedding a periodic array of constituent stacks of alternating graphene and dielectric discs into a background dielectric medium is proposed. The photonic band structure and transmittance of such photonic crystal are calculated. The graphene-based photonic crystals can be used effectively as the frequency filters and waveguides for the far infrared region of electromagnetic spectrum. Due to substantial suppression of absorption of low-frequency radiation in doped graphene the damping and skin effect in the photonic crystal are also suppressed. The advantages of the graphene-based photonic crystal are discussed.

Superfluidity of dipole excitons in the presence of band gaps in two-layer graphene

A study of the formation of excitons as a problem of two Dirac particles confined in two-layer graphene sheets separated by a dielectric when gaps are opened and they interact via a Coulomb potential is presented. We propose to observe Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity of quasi-two-dimensional dipole excitons in double layer graphene in the presence of band gaps. The energy spectrum of the collective excitations, the sound spectrum, and the effective exciton mass are functions of the energy gaps, density and interlayer separation. The superfluid density ns and temperature of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition Tc are decreasing functions of the energy gaps as well as the interlayer separation, and therefore, could be controlled by these parameters.

Graphene nanoribbon based spaser

A novel type of spaser with the net amplification of surface plasmons (SPs) in a doped graphene nanoribbon is proposed. The plasmons in the THz region can be generated in a doped graphene nanoribbon due to nonradiative excitation by emitters like two level quantum dots located along a graphene nanoribbon. The minimal population inversion per unit area, needed for the net amplification of SPs in a doped graphene nanoribbon, is obtained. The dependence of the minimal population inversion on the surface plasmon wave vector, graphene nanoribbon width, doping, and damping parameters necessary for the amplification of surface plasmons in the armchair graphene nanoribbon is studied.

Superfluidity of indirect magnetoexcitons in coupled quantum wells

The temperature Tc of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition to a superfluid state for a system of magnetoexcitons with spatially separated electrons e and holes h in coupled quantum wells is obtained as a function of magnetic field H and interlayer separation D. It is found that Tcdecreases as a function of H and D at fixed exciton density nex as a result of an increase in the exciton magnetic mass. The highest Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature as a function of H increases (at small D) on account of an increase in the maximum magnetoexciton density nex versus magnetic field, where nex is determined by a competition between the magnetoexciton energy and the sum of the activation energies of incompressible Laughlin fluids of electrons and holes.

High-temperature superfluidity of the two-component Bose gas in a transition metal dichalcogenide bilayer

The high-temperature superfluidity of two-dimensional dipolar excitons in two parallel TMDC layers is predicted. We study Bose-Einstein condensation in the two-component system of dipolar A and B excitons. The effective mass, energy spectrum of the collective excitations, the sound velocity and critical temperature are obtained for different TMDC materials. It is shown that in the Bogolubov approximation the sound velocity in the two-component dilute exciton Bose gas is always larger than in any one-component. The difference between the sound velocities for two-component and one-component dilute gases is caused by the fact that the sound velocity for two-component system depends on the reduced mass of A and B excitons, which is always smaller than the individual mass of A or B exciton. Due to this fact, the critical temperature Tc for superfluidity for the two-component exciton system in TMDC bilayer is about one order of magnitude higher than Tc in any one-component exciton system. We propose to observe the superfluidity of two-dimensional dipolar excitons in two parallel TMDC layers, which causes two opposite superconducting currents in each TMDC layer.