We present evidence, from Lattice Monte Carlo simulations of the phase diagram of graphene as a function of the Coulomb coupling between quasiparticles, that graphene in vacuum is likely to be an insulator. We find a semimetal-insulator transition at αgcrit=1.11±0.06, where αg≃2.16 in vacuum, and αg≃0.79 on a SiO2 substrate. Our analysis uses the logarithmic derivative of the order parameter, supplemented by an equation of state. The insulating phase disappears above a critical number of four-component fermion flavors 4<Nfcrit<6. Our data are consistent with a second-order transition.
@article{arxiv.0807.0834,
title = {Is graphene in vacuum an insulator?},
author = {Joaquín E. Drut and Timo A. Lähde},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0807.0834},
year = {2009}
}