Electronic state of zigzag graphene nanoribbons

Abstract

Based on the tight-binding model, the electronic state and band of zigzag graphene nanoribbons are given analytically by a new method. The results show that there are only two kinds electronic states, i.e., the standing wave state and edge state. For the standing wave state, the wave function is sine function and the vector is real; for the edge state, the wave function is hyperbolic sine function and the vector is complex, whose real part is 0 or π/2. The energy band is composed of the energy of standing wave state and the energy of edge state. The accurate ranges of infinite direction wave vector and energy of the edge state are deduced. Then we discuss the transition point between the edge state and the standing wave state and find that the two kinds of electronic states tend to the linear relationship regarding the site of carbon lattice in different ways at the phase transition point. When the width of two restricted boundary goes to infinity, the result of the limited graphene tends to the infinite case.