54 research outputs found
Electron-hole symmetry in a semiconducting carbon nanotube quantum dot
Optical and electronic phenomena in solids arise from the behaviour of
electrons and holes (unoccupied states in a filled electron sea). Electron-hole
symmetry can often be invoked as a simplifying description, which states that
electrons with energy above the Fermi sea behave the same as holes below the
Fermi energy. In semiconductors, however, electron-hole symmetry is generally
absent since the energy band structure of the conduction band differs from the
valence band. Here we report on measurements of the discrete, quantized-energy
spectrum of electrons and holes in a semiconducting carbon nanotube. Through a
gate, an individual nanotube is filled controllably with a precise number of
either electrons or holes, starting from one. The discrete excitation spectrum
for a nanotube with N holes is strikingly similar to the corresponding spectrum
for N electrons. This observation of near perfect electron-hole symmetry
demonstrates for the first time that a semiconducting nanotube can be free of
charged impurities, even in the limit of few-electrons or holes. We furthermore
find an anomalously small Zeeman spin splitting and an excitation spectrum
indicating strong electron-electron interactions.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Competing Interactions in DNA Assembly on Graphene
We study the patterns that short strands of single-stranded DNA form on the top
graphene surface of graphite. We find that the DNA assembles into two distinct
patterns, small spherical particles and elongated networks. Known interaction
models based on DNA-graphene binding, hydrophobic interactions, or models based
on the purine/pyrimidine nature of the bases do not explain our observed
crossover in pattern formation. We argue that the observed assembly behavior is
caused by a crossover in the competition between base-base pi stacking and
base-graphene pi stacking and we infer a critical crossover energy of
eV. The experiments therefore provide a projective
measurement of the base-base interaction strength
Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells
We present proof-of-concept all-carbon solar cells. They are made of a photoactive side of predominantly semiconducting nanotubes for photoconversion and a counter electrode made of a natural mixture of carbon nanotubes or graphite, connected by a liquid electrolyte through a redox reaction. The cells do not require rare source materials such as In or Pt, nor high-grade semiconductor processing equipment, do not rely on dye for photoconversion and therefore do not bleach, and are easy to fabricate using a spray-paint technique. We observe that cells with a lower concentration of carbon nanotubes on the active semiconducting electrode perform better than cells with a higher concentration of nanotubes. This effect is contrary to the expectation that a larger number of nanotubes would lead to more photoconversion and therefore more power generation. We attribute this to the presence of metallic nanotubes that provide a short for photo-excited electrons, bypassing the load. We demonstrate optimization strategies that improve cell efficiency by orders of magnitude. Once it is possible to make semiconducting-only carbon nanotube films, that may provide the greatest efficiency improvement
Nanoscale atomic waveguides with suspended carbon nanotubes
We propose an experimentally viable setup for the realization of
one-dimensional ultracold atom gases in a nanoscale magnetic waveguide formed
by single doubly-clamped suspended carbon nanotubes. We show that all common
decoherence and atom loss mechanisms are small guaranteeing a stable operation
of the trap. Since the extremely large current densities in carbon nanotubes
are spatially homogeneous, our proposed architecture allows to overcome the
problem of fragmentation of the atom cloud. Adding a second nanowire allows to
create a double-well potential with a moderate tunneling barrier which is
desired for tunneling and interference experiments with the advantage of
tunneling distances being in the nanometer regime.Comment: Replaced with the published version, 7 pages, 3 figure
Nanoscale spin rectifiers controlled by the Stark effect
The control of orbital and spin state of single electrons is a key ingredient
for quantum information processing, novel detection schemes, and, more
generally, is of much relevance for spintronics. Coulomb and spin blockade (SB)
in double quantum dots (DQDs) enable advanced single-spin operations that would
be available even for room-temperature applications for sufficiently small
devices. To date, however, spin operations in DQDs were observed at sub-Kelvin
temperatures, a key reason being that scaling a DQD system while retaining an
independent field-effect control on the individual dots is very challenging.
Here we show that quantum-confined Stark effect allows an independent
addressing of two dots only 5 nm apart with no need for aligned nanometer-size
local gating. We thus demonstrate a scalable method to fully control a DQD
device, regardless of its physical size. In the present implementation we show
InAs/InP nanowire (NW) DQDs that display an experimentally detectable SB up to
10 K. We also report and discuss an unexpected re-entrant SB lifting as a
function magnetic-field intensity
Performance of Monolayer Graphene Nanomechanical Resonators with Electrical Readout
The enormous stiffness and low density of graphene make it an ideal material
for nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) applications. We demonstrate fabrication and
electrical readout of monolayer graphene resonators, and test their response to
changes in mass and temperature. The devices show resonances in the MHz range.
The strong dependence of the resonant frequency on applied gate voltage can be
fit to a membrane model, which yields the mass density and built-in strain.
Upon removal and addition of mass, we observe changes in both the density and
the strain, indicating that adsorbates impart tension to the graphene. Upon
cooling, the frequency increases; the shift rate can be used to measure the
unusual negative thermal expansion coefficient of graphene. The quality factor
increases with decreasing temperature, reaching ~10,000 at 5 K. By establishing
many of the basic attributes of monolayer graphene resonators, these studies
lay the groundwork for applications, including high-sensitivity mass detectors
Franck-Condon blockade in suspended carbon nanotube quantum dots
Understanding the influence of vibrational motion of the atoms on electronic
transitions in molecules constitutes a cornerstone of quantum physics, as
epitomized by the Franck-Condon principle of spectroscopy. Recent advances in
building molecular-electronics devices and nanoelectromechanical systems open a
new arena for studying the interaction between mechanical and electronic
degrees of freedom in transport at the single-molecule level. The tunneling of
electrons through molecules or suspended quantum dots has been shown to excite
vibrational modes, or vibrons. Beyond this effect, theory predicts that strong
electron-vibron coupling dramatically suppresses the current flow at low
biases, a collective behaviour known as Franck-Condon blockade. Here we show
measurements on quantum dots formed in suspended single-wall carbon nanotubes
revealing a remarkably large electron-vibron coupling and, due to the high
quality and unprecedented tunability of our samples, admit a quantitative
analysis of vibron-mediated electronic transport in the regime of strong
electron-vibron coupling. This allows us to unambiguously demonstrate the
Franck-Condon blockade in a suspended nanostructure. The large observed
electron-vibron coupling could ultimately be a key ingredient for the detection
of quantized mechanical motion. It also emphasizes the unique potential for
nanoelectromechanical device applications based on suspended graphene sheets
and carbon nanotubes.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
The Influences of H2Plasma Pretreatment on the Growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes by Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition
The effects of H2flow rate during plasma pretreatment on synthesizing the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition are investigated in this study. A H2and CH4gas mixture with a 9:1 ratio was used as a precursor for the synthesis of MWCNT on Ni-coated TaN/Si(100) substrates. The structure and composition of Ni catalyst nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The present findings showed that denser Ni catalyst nanoparticles and more vertically aligned MWCNTs could be effectively achieved at higher flow rates. From Raman results, we found that the intensity ratio of G and D bands (ID/IG) decreases with an increasing flow rate. In addition, TEM results suggest that H2plasma pretreatment can effectively reduce the amorphous carbon and carbonaceous particles. As a result, the pretreatment plays a crucial role in modifying the obtained MWCNTs structures
Dynamic manipulation of mechanical resonators in the high amplitude regime through optical backaction
Cavity optomechanics enables active manipulation of mechanical resonators
through backaction cooling and amplification. This ability to control
mechanical motion with retarded optical forces has recently spurred a race
towards realizing a mechanical resonator in its quantum ground state. Here,
instead of quenching optomechanical motion, we demonstrate high amplitude
operation of nanomechanical resonators by utilizing a highly efficient phonon
generation process. In this regime, the nanomechanical resonators gain
sufficient energy from the optical field to overcome the large energy barrier
of a double well potential, leading to nanomechanical slow-down and zero
frequency singularity, as predicted by early theories . Besides fundamental
studies and interests in parametric amplification of small forces,
optomechanical backaction is also projected to open new windows for studying
discrete mechanical states, and to foster applications. Here we realize a
non-volatile mechanical memory element, in which bits are written and reset via
optomechanical backaction by controlling the mechanical damping across the
barrier. Our study casts a new perspective on the energy dynamics in coupled
mechanical resonator - cavity systems and enables novel functional devices that
utilize the principles of cavity optomechanics.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure
- …