Thermodynamic Properties of Gapped Graphene Quantum Dots in Aharonov–Bohm Field

Abstract

This investigation explores the influence of temperature, radius, Aharonov–Bohm flux, and bandgap energy on the specific heat and magnetocaloric properties of graphene quantum dots. By enforcing the continuity condition of eigenspinors at the graphene quantum dots boundary, an analytical relation is derived, demonstrating the dependence of quantized energy levels on external physical parameters. The specific heat exhibits a Schottky-like anomaly, characterized by an initial rise with increasing temperature, reaching a maximum, followed by a subsequent decline. Enhanced magnetic fields induce a shift in the peak temperature while maintaining a consistent peak magnitude (~ 0.44 J/K). The magnetocaloric potential exhibits a monotonic increase with magnetic field intensity, converging to a saturation value of − 0.7 J/(kg⋅K) at elevated temperatures, where thermal fluctuations dominate. Furthermore, the magnetocaloric response demonstrates greater sensitivity to variations in bandgap energy and magnetic field strength compared to changes in the dot radius and Aharonov–Bohm flux.