We exploit the concept of strain-induced band structure engineering in graphene through the calculation of its electronic properties under uniaxial, shear, and combined uniaxial-shear deformations. We show that by combining shear deformations to uniaxial strains it is possible modulate the graphene energy gap value from zero up to 0.9 eV. Interestingly enough, the use of a shear component allows for a gap opening at moderate absolute deformation, safely smaller than the graphene failure strain.
@article{arxiv.1006.1999,
title = {Gap opening in graphene by shear strain},
author = {Giulio Cocco and Emiliano Cadelano and Luciano Colombo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1006.1999},
year = {2010}
}