Electronic structure of defected trilayer graphene

Abstract

Gated trilayer graphene shows energy gap and three topologically protected gaplessstates when the stacking order changes from ABC to CBA. Here we such a trilayer, but with a part of the internal layer cut and removed forming a region in trilayer built of only two not connected single graphene layers. We demonstrate that the electronic structure of this region is almost the same as of the gated trilayer. Curiously, the topological gapless states that appear due to difference in the stacking order of the adjacent trilayers localize mostly in these single graphene layers. Thus, strong disorder in the internal layer of gated trilayer graphene does not lead to destruction of its fundamental electronic properties.