Quantum interference and Klein tunneling in graphene heterojunctions

Andrea F. Young; Philip Kim

doi:10.1038/nphys1198

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arXiv · 0808.0855

Quantum interference and Klein tunneling in graphene heterojunctions

Andrea F. Young·Philip Kim

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Abstract

The observation of quantum conductance oscillations in mesoscopic systems has traditionally required the confinement of the carriers to a phase space of reduced dimensionality. While electron optics such as lensing and focusing have been demonstrated experimentally, building a collimated electron interferometer in two unconfined dimensions has remained a challenge due to the difficulty of creating electrostatic barriers that are sharp on the order of the electron wavelength. Here, we report the observation of conductance oscillations in extremely narrow graphene heterostructures where a resonant cavity is formed between two electrostatically created bipolar junctions. Analysis of the oscillations confirms that p-n junctions have a collimating effect on ballistically transmitted carriers. The phase shift observed in the conductance fringes at low magnetic fields is a signature of the perfect transmission of carriers normally incident on the junctions and thus constitutes a direct experimental observation of ``Klein Tunneling.''

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Andrea F. Young, Philip Kim. 2008-12-01. Quantum interference and Klein tunneling in graphene heterojunctions. https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1198

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