Quantum spin Hall phase in neutral zigzag graphene ribbons

We present a detailed description of the nature of the wavefunction and spin distribution of the zero energy modes of zigzag graphene ribbons (ZGRs) in the presence of the intrinsic spin–orbit (I-SO) interaction. These states characterize the quantum spin Hall (QSH) phase in graphene ribbons. We provide analytic expressions for wavefunctions and show how these evolve as the strength of the interaction and the ribbon width are changed. For odd-width ribbons, we show that its insulating nature precludes the existence of a QSH phase. For these systems the I-SO interaction is predicted to have a stronger effect as shown by the enhancement of the gap as the interaction strength is turned on.