Atomic collapse in graphene

Andrey V. Shytov (BNL) Work done in collaboration with: L.S. Levitov MIT

M.I. at!nel!on "niver!ity o# Ni$%e&en' Netherland!

* Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 236801; ibid. 99, 246802 (2007)

Outline
1. Atomic collapse and Dirac vacuum reconstruction in high-energy physics 2. Charged impurities in graphene: manifestations of atomic collapse a. ocal DO! "!#$% &. #ransport "conductivity% c. 'acuum polari(ation ). Conclusion

*lectrons in graphene

#,o su&lattices

+seudo-spin "su&lattice%

!lo,- &ut ultrarelativistic Dirac fermions.

Chirality conservation /0 no locali(ation "1lein parado2%

3hy graphene4
5igh mo&ility- tuna&le carrier density inear spectrum /0 high 6uanti(ation energiesroom temperature mesoscopic physics 7eali(ation of relativistic 6uantum physics in ta&le-top e2periments /0 unusual transport properties arge fine structure constant /0 strong field regime- inaccessi&le in high-energy physics

Charged impurities
Dominant contri&ution to resistivity "7+A screening is not essential%
Nom !", #$%o&"'d (200()

Charged impurities
Dominant contri&ution to resistivity "7+A screening is not essential%
Nom !", #$%o&"'d (200()

Any interesting non-linear effects444 8es- Dirac vacuum reconstruction

!ta&ility of Atom
Classical physics: unsta&le "energy is un&ounded%

!ta&ility of Atom
Classical physics: unsta&le "energy is un&ounded% 9$: sta&le or&its- (ero point motion stops the collapse

!ta&ility of Atom
Classical physics: unsta&le "energy is un&ounded% 9$: sta&le or&its- (ero point motion stops the collapse

7elativity: collapsing or&its

v:c

!ta&ility of Atom
Classical physics: unsta&le "energy is un&ounded% 9$: sta&le or&its- (ero point motion stops the collapse

7elativity: collapsing or&its

7elativity ; 9$: 444

v:c

!ta&ility of Atom
Classical physics: unsta&le "energy is un&ounded% 9$: sta&le or&its- (ero point motion stops the collapse

7elativity: collapsing or&its

7elativity ; 9$: Collapse4

<ut: position uncertainty: v:c

444

Dirac = 1epler pro&lem

+art @ "> : 1)?% D/)
%i!"$ (1929)

3hat happens at > 0 1)?4

Dirac = 1epler pro&lem

+art @@ "1)? : > : 1?B%

Pome!"&$h ) "&d *mo!odi&s)ii (194()

Ainite si(e of nucleus "regulari(ation% !olution can &e continued to > 0 1)?.

Atomic collapse: semiclassical picture

7elativistic particle may fall to the Coulom& center

Atomic collapse: semiclassical picture

7elativistic particle may fall to the Coulom& center

Dirac = 1epler pro&lem

+art @@ "1)? : > : 1?B%

Pome!"&$h ) "&d *mo!odi&s)ii (194()

Ainite si(e of nucleus "regulari(ation% 1! level merges into Dirac sea at > / 1?B

> 0 1?B4

Dirac = 1epler pro&lem

+art @@ "1)? : > : 1?B%

Pome!"&$h ) "&d *mo!odi&s)ii (194()

Ainite si(e of nucleus "regulari(ation% !olution can &e continued to > 0 1)?. 1! level merges into hole continuum at > / 1?B

> 0 1?B4

Dirac = 1epler pro&lem

+art @@@ "> 0 >c / 1?B%
+e!shtey&, ,e'dovi$h (1969) Po-ov (1970)

7esonant electron state in Dirac sea !creening &y pair production4

9uasilocali(ed state

Atomic collapse in graphene

Can &e modeled &y charged impurities: Co mass /0 no discrete states- continuous spectrum $anifestations: 6uasistationary states- resonances !trong effects in vacuum polari(ation- no cutoff at Compton ,avelength

Charged impurity in graphene

Dirac e6uation:

Ansat(:

#,o regimes

!u&critical: Oscillations small r .

!upercritical: Critical value:

*2act solution
!u&critical case:

!cale-invariant solution "depends only on kr %

Density of states

!tanding ,aves <ound states

Density of states

!tanding ,aves <ound states

Density of states

!tanding ,aves <ound states

Density of states
Standing waves

Localized state

!tanding ,aves <ound states

9uasi-&ound states

#ype of carriers is reversed at small r 1lein tunneling couples electron-liDe states at small r to hole-liDe states at large r

9uasi-&ound states
Classical motion 9uanti(ation condition:

#ransparency:

*2act result near criticality:

#ransport
Drude conductivity

!cattering phases "e2tracted from e2act solution% 9uasi-&ound states sho, up as Aano resonances

'acuum polari(ation
Eeneral form: 7+A "$irlin et al%: #homas-Aermi "1atsnelson%:

7+A and #A give conflicting results- ,hich is unusual

Ariedel sum rule

#otal charge: in "2BBF%: +hases e2tracted from e2act solution:

!u&rcritical case
7+A formula is valid. Cumericall results:

Only deep states contri&ute to polari(ation charge "confirmed &y a direct calculation%

.e!e)hov et "'/ e0"$t 1o!m '" 1o! -o'"!i2"tio& $h"!3e

!upercritical case
"only s-channel is overcritical% #homas-Aermi limit 7E flo, of the effective charge: #he flo, terminates at finite distance:

#he charge of an overcritical impurity is al,ays screened to the critical value.

Open questions:
*2citons4 *ffect of vacuum polari(ation on locali(ed states4 Other many-&ody effects4 1ondo4 7ole of ,ater4 Capacitance4 Eapped systems "&ilayers- epita2ial graphene%4

Conclusions:
#,o distinct regimes for Coulom& impurities: su&critical and supercritical ocal DO!: 6uasilocali(ed states- standing ,aves Aano-liDe resonances in transport cross-sectionconductivity !creening cloud in supercritical regime Divalent and tri-valent impurities are needed "Ca- 8&- a- Ed can &e intercalated- e.g.$cChesney et al- "2BB?%%. Alternatively- one can use the charge on !#$ tip.

!ignatures of atomic collapse can &e o&served.