• Editors' Suggestion
  • Rapid Communication

Electron screening and excitonic condensation in double-layer graphene systems

Maxim Yu. Kharitonov and Konstantin B. Efetov
Phys. Rev. B 78, 241401(R) – Published 29 December 2008

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the possibility of excitonic condensation in a system of two graphene monolayers separated by an insulator in which electrons and holes in the layers are induced by external gates. In contrast to the recent studies of this system, we take into account the screening of the interlayer Coulomb interaction by the carriers in the layers, and this drastically changes the result. Due to a large number of electron species in the system (two projections of spin, two valleys, and two layers) and to the suppression of backscattering in graphene, the maximum possible strength of the screened Coulomb interaction appears to be quite small, making the weak-coupling treatment applicable. We calculate the mean-field transition temperature for a clean system and demonstrate that its highest possible value Tcmax107ϵF1mK is extremely small (ϵF is the Fermi energy). In addition, any sufficiently short-range disorder with the scattering time τ/Tcmax would suppress the condensate completely. Our findings render experimental observation of excitonic condensation in the above setup improbable even at very low temperatures.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 17 August 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.241401

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Maxim Yu. Kharitonov1 and Konstantin B. Efetov1,2

  • 1Theoretische Physik III, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum D-44801, Germany
  • 2L.D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Moscow 119334, Russia

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 24 — 15 December 2008

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review B

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×