Intrinsic Capabilities for Digital Switching of Silicene Nanoribbons With Edge Defects

Statistical atomistic quantum transport simulations are used to study the prospects of digital switching in silicene nanoribbons (SiNRs) with edge defects. For various nanoribbon widths and defect levels, we study the averaged parameters (such as bandgap and conductance in the ON- and OFF-state) and their defect-induced variability. We report that moderately defective SiNRs exhibit up to 30% larger bandgaps than their ideal counterparts, bringing it to about 0.5 eV, and the ON-OFF conductance ratios in the range from ~10³ to ~10⁶. In terms of resilience to edge defects, we demonstrate that SiNRs are less immune to defects than phosphorene nanoribbons, while they are considerably more resistant than graphene nanoribbons.