We probe electron and hole mobilities in bilayer graphene under exposure to molecular oxygen. We find that the adsorbed oxygen reduces electron mobilities and increases hole mobilities in a reversible and activated process. Our experimental results indicate that hole mobilities increase due to the screening of long-range scatterers by oxygen molecules trapped between the graphene and the substrate. First principle calculations show that oxygen molecules induce resonant states close to the charge neutrality point. Electron coupling with such resonant states reduces the electron mobilities, causing a strong asymmetry between electron and hole transport. Our work demonstrates the importance of short-range scattering due to adsorbed species in the electronic transport in bilayer graphene on SiO2 substrates.
Combining experiment and theory, we investigate how a naturally created heterojunction (pn junction) at a graphene and metallic contact interface is modulated via interaction with molecular hydrogen (H2). Due to an electrostatic interaction, metallic electrodes induce pn junctions in graphene, leading to an asymmetrical resistance for electronic transport via electrons and holes. We report that an asymmetry in the resistance can be tuned in a reversible manner by exposing graphene devices to H2. The interaction between the H2 and graphene occurs solely at the graphene-contact pn junction and might be due to a modification on the electrostatic interaction between graphene and metallic contacts. We confront the experimental data with theory providing information concerning the length of the heterojunction, and how it changes as a function of H2 adsorption. Our results are valuable for understanding the nature of the metal-graphene interfaces and point out to a novel route towards selective hydrogen sensor application.Graphene is a zero-gap semiconductor which charge carrier density and conductance can be controlled electrostatically by preparing graphene devices as field effect transistors.1,2 In such architecture, the contact resistance considerably impairs device performance and is responsible for a conduction asymmetry for p-doped and n-doped graphene.3-8 This asymmetry stems from heterojunctions (pn junctions) formed at metal-graphene interfaces due to different work functions between graphene and metal -i.e. Fermi level pinning. 9-13 Effectively, the advent of the pn junction results in an additional charge scattering at the metal-graphene interface increasing device resistance. On the other hand, interesting effects can be observed as well. For instance: heterojunctions at metal-graphene interface have been used to design FabryPerot cavities 11 and to observe resonances in Josephson junctions in graphene devices. 14 In both systems, the metal-graphene interfaces have been considered a static problem, where the doping at the graphene underneath the contact is solely defined by the type of metal used. However, so far, a controllable method to probe and modulate the pn junction induced by contacts has not been reported. In addition, there are still open questions about how far a pn junction can extend from the contact into the graphene channel and if there are technological applications based on specialties of graphene contact resistance. 3,4,6,7,[14][15][16]
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