Plasmonic Zitterbewegung in binary graphene sheet arrays

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Nanophotonics
• Materials science

Background:

• Graphene exhibits unique electronic and optical properties.
• Plasmonic effects in nanostructures are crucial for light manipulation.
• The Zitterbewegung (ZB) effect, a trembling motion of particles, has been observed in various quantum systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate the plasmonic Zitterbewegung (ZB) effect in binary graphene sheet arrays (GSAs).
• To explore the realization of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes in minibands by modulating graphene chemical potentials.
• To analyze the dependence of ZB parameters on array characteristics for practical observation.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical investigation of plasmonic ZB effect.
• Numerical simulations of SPP modes in binary GSAs.
• Analysis of miniband formation via alternating chemical potentials.

Main Results:

• SPP modes in two minibands were successfully realized in binary GSAs.
• Numerical simulations confirmed the characteristic trembling motion of SPPs, indicative of the ZB effect.
• The oscillating periods of plasmonic ZB were found to be micrometer-scale and dependent on propagation constant mismatch.
• The amplitude of the ZB effect reached tens of nanometers.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrates the feasibility of observing plasmonic ZB in GSAs.
• The controllable ZB parameters offer potential for designing novel plasmonic devices.
• The findings pave the way for practical applications leveraging the ZB effect in graphene nanostructures.