Observation of Landau-level-like quantization at 77 K along a strained-induced graphene ridge

Recent studies show that the electronic structures of graphene can be modified by strain, and it was predicted that strain in graphene can induce peaks in the local density of states (LDOS), mimicking Landau levels (LLs) generated in the presence of a large magnetic field. Here we report the scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) observation of nine strain-induced peaks in LDOS at 77 K along a graphene ridge created when the graphene layer was cleaved from a sample of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The energies of these peaks follow the progression of LLs of massless Dirac fermions (DFs) in a magnetic field of 230 T. The results presented here suggest a possible route to realize zero-field quantum Hall-like effects at 77 K.