Electronic properties of multilayer armchair phosphorene nanoribbons under strain

Abstract

We study the electronic properties of multilayer armchair phosphorene nanoribbons (APNRs) modulated by certain strains. The band structure is calculated by solving the corresponding differential Schrödinger equation, and the density of states (DOS) is obtained combining the Green's function method. It is found that the certain strain has similar effects on different layer APNRs. The vertical tensile strain along the z -direction, the compressive uniaxial strain along the y -direction and biaxial strain along the xy -direction can close the band gap. The gap disappears and some peaks appear around at the energy position of the band gap closure for the corresponding DOS. Further, it is shown that the band gaps depend linearly on the strain for all APNRs. However, the band structure and DOS for four layer APNR are most sensitive to the strains among all APNRs. Both the band gap and DOS variations with the strain show an insulator-metal transition induced by the strain for APNRs. Our results show that the four layer APNR are most suitable for the usage of electromechanical field effect transistors or detectors for detecting the strains. • The certain strain has similar effects on different layer APNRs. • The gap disappears and some peaks appear around at the energy position of the band gap closure for the corresponding DOS. • The band gaps depend linearly on the strain for all APNRs, the band structure for four layer APNR are most sensitive to the strains among all APNRs. • Both the band gap and DOS variations with the strain show an insulator-metal transition induced by the strain for APNRs.