Transport Gap in Dual-Gated Graphene Bilayers Using Oxides as Dielectrics

Abstract

Graphene bilayers in Bernal stacking exhibit a transverse electric (E) field-dependent band gap, which can be used to increase the channel resistivity and enable higher on/off ratio devices. We provide a systematic investigation of transport characteristics in dual-gated graphene bilayer devices as a function of density and E field and at temperatures from room temperature down to 0.3 K. The sample conductivity shows finite threshold voltages along the electron and hole branches, which increase as the E field increases, similar to a gapped semiconductor. We extract the transport gap as a function of E field and discuss the impact of disorder. In addition, we show that beyond the threshold, the bilayer conductivity shows a highly linear dependence on density, which is largely insensitive to the applied E field and the temperature.