Dimensional crossover of quantum Hall conductivity in graphite through proton-irradiation

Abstract

In this study, quantum Hall effect-like plateaus, exhibiting the behavior of single-and multi-graphene, are observed in ZYA-grade highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Massless Dirac carriers and massive normal carriers of the HOPG are distinguished from the analysis of Shubnikov-de Haas and de Haas van Alphen oscillations. The quantum Hall effect-like plateaus are diminished after proton irradiation owing to increasing interlayer interaction along the c-axis that causes the change of twodimensional massless carriers of the HOPG to three-dimensional massive carriers. Moreover, tight binding calculations exhibit similar diminishing plateaus of the Hall conductivity of HOPG as the interlayer interaction increases. This observation of dimensional crossover of the Hall conductivity demonstrates that proton-irradiation would be a useful tool to control quantum transport in HOPG through manipulating its interlayer interaction. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.