Magneto-EELS of armchair boronitrene nanoribbons

Abstract

The evolution of the electron energy loss spectrum (EELS) of ultranarrow armchair boron nitride nanoribbons (aBNNRs) during low and high photon energy transfers has been studied theoretically when a magnetic field and temperature gradient are applied. In order to achieve this goal, the widely used linear response theory within the Green’s function theory was employed. Here, using the EELS we show that σ ↦ σ* or π ↦ π* and σ ↦ π* or π ↦ σ* excitations corresponding to the intraband and interband transitions, respectively, can be tuned by ribbon width, magnetic field, wave vector transfer, and temperature. A comparison with experimental studies reveals that for realistic ribbon widths, i.e. 10–100 nm, both excitations are weak. However, we observe that only transitions between the same states, i.e. σ ↦ σ* or π ↦ π* can be controlled with a magnetic field due to the localized highest occupied and lowest unoccupied states at low-energy regions and different states are not influenced when the magnetic field is applied. Interestingly, the detailed shape of the magneto-EELS of the 7-aBNNR indicates a direct-to-indirect band gap transition when the wave vector transfer is perpendicular to the 7-aBNNR plane. Finally, we discover that there is an anomalous behavior for the temperature dependence of the magneto-EELS in general. The present work brings forward the understanding of the magneto-EELS of ultranarrow aBNNRs under different environmental conditions for logic applications in nanoplasmonics.