Generalized Hamiltonian for Kekulé graphene and the emergence of valley-cooperative Klein tunneling
Santiago Galván y García, Thomas Stegmann, Yonatan Betancur-Ocampo
Abstract
We introduce a generalized Hamiltonian describing not only all topological phases observed experimentally in Kekul\'e graphene (KekGr) but predicting also new ones. These phases show features like a quadratic band crossing point, valley splitting, or the crossing of conduction bands, typically induced by Rashba spin-orbit interactions or Zeeman fields. The electrons in KekGr behave as Dirac fermions and follow pseudorelativistic dispersion relations with Fermi velocities, rest masses, and valley-dependent self-gating. Transitions between the topological phases can be induced by tuning these parameters. The model is applied to study the current flow in KekGr $pn$ junctions evidencing a cooperative transport phenomenon, where Klein tunneling goes along with a valley flip. These junctions act as perfect filters and polarizers of massive Dirac fermions, which are the essential devices for valleytronics. The plethora of different topological phases in KekGr may also help to establish phenomena from spintronics.