Mass Inversion at the Lifshitz Transition in Monolayer Graphene by Diffusive, High-Density, On-Chip Doping

Abstract

Experimental setups for charge transport measurements are typically not compatible with the ultrahigh vacuum conditions for chemical doping, limiting the charge carrier density that can be investigated by transport methods. Field-effect methods, including dielectric gating and ionic liquid gating, achieve too low a carrier density to induce electronic phase transitions. To bridge this gap, we developed an integrated flip-chip method to dope graphene by alkali vapor in the diffusive regime, suitable for charge transport measurements at ultrahigh charge carrier density. We introduce a cesium droplet into a sealed cavity filled with inert gas to dope a monolayer graphene sample by the process of cesium atom diffusion, adsorption, and ionization at the graphene surface, with doping beyond an electron density of 4.7 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻² monitored by operando Hall measurement. The sealed assembly is stable against oxidation, enabling measurement of charge transport versus temperature and magnetic field. Cyclotron mass inversion is observed via the Hall effect, indicative of the change in Fermi surface geometry associated with the Liftshitz transition at the hyperbolic M point of monolayer graphene. The transparent quartz substrate also functions as an optical window, enabling nonresonant Raman scattering. Our findings show that chemical doping, hitherto restricted to ultrahigh vacuum, can be applied in a diffusive regime at ambient pressure in an inert gas environment and thus enable charge transport studies in standard cryogenic environments.