  The quantum transport properties of a graphene kirigami similar to those
studied in recent experiments are calculated in the regime of elastic,
reversible deformations. Our results show that, at low electronic densities,
the conductance profile of such structures replicates that of a system of
coupled quantum dots, characterized by a sequence of minibands and stop-gaps.
The conductance and I-V curves have different characteristics in the distinct
stages of elastic deformation that characterize the elongation of these
structures. Notably, the effective coupling between localized states is
strongly reduced in the small elongation stage, whereas in the large elongation
regime the development of strong, localized pseudomagnetic field barriers can
reinforce the coupling and reestablish resonant tunneling across the kirigami.
This provides an interesting example of interplay between geometry and
pseudomagnetic field-induced confinement. The alternating miniband and
stop-gaps in the transmission lead to I-V characteristics with negative
differential conductance in well defined energy/doping ranges. These effects
should be stable in a realistic scenario that includes edge roughness and
Coulomb interactions, as these are expected to further promote localization of
states at low energies in narrow segments of graphene nanostructures.
