Electronic transport properties of assembled carbon nanoribbons.

Abstract

Graphitic nanowiggles (GNWs) are 1D systems with segmented graphitic nanoribbon GNR edges of varying chiralities. They are characterized by the presence of a number of possible different spin distributions along their edges and by electronic band-gaps that are highly sensitive to the details of their geometry. These two properties promote these experimentally observed carbon nanostructures as some of the most promising candidates for developing high-performance nanodevices. Here, we highlight this potential with a detailed understanding of the electronic processes leading to their unique spin-state dependent electronic quantum transport properties. The three classes of GNWs containing at least one zigzag edge (necessary to the observation of multiple-magnetic states) are considered in two distinct geometries: a perfectly periodic system and in a one-GNW-cell system sandwiched between two semi-infinite terminals made up of straight GNRs. The present calculations establish a number of elementary rules to relate fundamental electronic transport functionality, electronic energy, the system geometry, and spin state.