The electronic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes
Abstract
Many of the physical and electronic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes are not well understood. Theoretical considerations of their electronic properties predict behavior characteristic of low-dimensional structures, such as the quantization of energy levels and strong electron-electron interactions. Using energy-resolved field emission, we obtained electron energy distributions from multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The measured energy distributions indicate complex yet discrete energy levels in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. In addition, the emission current is found to fluctuate in time. To determine the source of the field emission current fluctuations and to study the fundamental electronic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, we performed electronic transport measurements. For these measurements, we developed a technique for contacting the nanotubes. Measurements of the conductance at room temperature on the resulting samples displays a large amount of noise, indicating that the current fluctuations are intrinsic to multi-walled nanotubes. Low temperature conductance measurements provide evidence of a non-Fermi electron behavior known as a Luttinger liquid. The measured conductance contains contributions from the nanotube-contact interface and from the nanotube itself.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Reifenberger, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Condensation|Electrical engineering
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