The I−V characteristics of a graphene tunnel diode

Graphene is a 2D carbon allotrope in which electrons behave as massless Dirac fermions in a (1+2)-D relativistic space-time near the so-called Dirac points of the Brillouin zone of a honeycomb lattice, rendering very unusual electronic properties. Here, the physics of a graphene tunnel diode is explored. The p-n configuration can be achieved by means of graphene doping. The transfer Hamiltonian method, incorporating the main features of relativistic tunneling of Dirac massless fermions in graphene permits the prediction of the I−V characteristics for graphene tunnel junctions in distinct configurations, and, in particular, the graphene diode.