Out-of-equilibrium carrier dynamics in graphene and graphene-based devices

Abstract

With traditional semiconductor technology approaching the limits of scaling and chip integration, the discovery of graphene and its astonishing properties stood as a promising alternative for future electronics. In order to adequately put into context the possibilities of graphene, it is critical to investigate the microscopic properties of electronic transport in this material. With this objective, a Monte Carlo simulator for graphene that includes the dynamics of electrons and holes, with especial focus on hot carrier phenomena, like hot phonons, Auger processes, and phonon-assisted generation and recombination mechanisms has been developed. The analysis of electronic transport at high fields allowed to quantify the relative impact that self heating and hot phonons have in the steady state drift velocity of the carriers and temperature. Linear sheet current behavior at high fields was found to be the result of free charge carriers created through impact ionization collisions. Velocity fluctuation phenomena in graphene were studied employing various numerical methods aimed at the analysis of specific transient dynamics (under the application of switching or AC electric fields). The frequency-dependent noise temperature was obtained from the diffusivity an differential mobility, and the feasibility of generating high-order harmonics in graphene, was presented in terms of the detection bandwidth. The potential of graphene for optoelectronic applications requires also a deep understanding of the ultrafast relaxation processes that carriers undergo after being exposed to light with an adequate wavelength. A thorough exploration of this process, with particular focus on the initial photoexcitation conditions, the effect of out-of-equilibrium phonons and the influence of an underlying substrate is presented, together with an experimental pump and probe differential transmission spectroscopy approach. An initial version of a simulator of 2D material-based devices is presented, which allows to set the basis for future research in the field of Monte Carlo modeling of this kind of electronic devices.