title: Suppression of electron-vibron coupling in graphene nanoribbons contacted via a single atom.
abstract: Graphene nanostructures, where quantum confinement opens an energy gap in the band structure, hold promise for future electronic devices. To realize the full potential of these materials, atomic-scale control over the contacts to graphene and the graphene nanostructure forming the active part of the device is required. The contacts should have a high transmission and yet not modify the electronic properties of the active region significantly to maintain the potentially exciting physics offered by the nanoscale honeycomb lattice. Here we show how contacting an atomically well-defined graphene nanoribbon to a metallic lead by a chemical bond via only one atom significantly influences the charge transport through the graphene nanoribbon but does not affect its electronic structure. Specifically, we find that creating well-defined contacts can suppress inelastic transport channels.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter and Interfaces, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, PO Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Lit
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Boneschanscher
authors.forename: Daniël
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanmaekelbergh
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ijäs
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uppstu
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ervasti
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harju
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liljeroth
authors.forename: Ingmar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Swart