Quantum capacitance of coupled two-dimensional electron gases

Abstract

Quantum capacitance effect is observed in nanostructured material stacks with quantum limited density of states. In contrast to conventional structures where two-dimensional electron gases (2DEG) with reduced density of states interact with a metal plate, here we explore the quantum capacitance effect in a unique structure formed by two 2DEG in a graphene sheet and AlGaN/GaN quantum well. The total capacitance of the structure depends non-linearly on the applied potential and the linear density of states in graphene leads to enhanced electric field leakage into the substrate causing a dramatic 50% drop in the overall capacitance at low bias potentials. We show theoretical projections of the quantum capacitance effect in the proposed device stack, fabricate the structure and provide experimental verification of the calculated values at various temperatures and applied potentials. The wide swing in the total capacitance is sensitive to the chemical potential of the graphene sheet and has multiple applications in molecular sensing, electro-optics, and fundamental investigations.