Shift Register for Graphene Kinks

Abstract

Recently, there have been many developments in domain-wall electronics, such as racetrack memory and domain-wall logic. Here, we show that some of the principles of the control of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric domain walls can be applied to graphene kinks and antikinks, which are topological states of buckled graphene membranes. Using molecular-dynamics simulations, we demonstrate the good properties of graphene kinks for application in a racetracklike memory. Specifically, it is shown that in a sawtooth (ratchetlike) potential, graphene kinks and antikinks are locked into discrete positions on the membrane, and their force-induced unidirectional motion resembles the operation of a digital shift register.