Magnetic phases of graphene nanoribbons under potential fluctuations

We investigate the effects of long-range potential fluctuations and electron-electron interactions on the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons with zigzag edges using an extended mean-field Hubbard model. We show that electron-electron interactions make the edge states robust against potential fluctuations. When the disorder is strong enough, the presence of electron-hole puddles induces a magnetic phase transition from antiferromagnetically coupled edge states to ferromagnetic coupling, in agreement with recent experimental results.