Determination of electron orbital magnetic moments in carbon nanotubes

The remarkable transport properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are determined by their unusual electronic structure. The electronic states of a carbon nanotube form one-dimensional electron and hole sub-bands, which, in general, are separated by an energy gap. States near the energy gap are predicted to have an orbital magnetic moment, mu(orb), that is much larger than the Bohr magneton (the magnetic moment of an electron due to its spin). This large moment is due to the motion of electrons around the circumference of the nanotube, and is thought to play a role in the magnetic susceptibility of CNTs and the magnetoresistance observed in large multiwalled CNTs. But the coupling between magnetic field and the electronic states of individual nanotubes remains to be quantified experimentally. Here we report electrical measurements of relatively small diameter (2-5 nm) individual CNTs in the presence of an axial magnetic field. We observe field-induced energy shifts of electronic states and the associated changes in sub-band structure, which enable us to confirm quantitatively the predicted values for mu(orb).     

Transformation of spin information into large electrical signals using carbon nanotubes

Spin electronics (spintronics) exploits the magnetic nature of electrons, and this principle is commercially applied in, for example, the spin valves of disk-drive read heads. There is currently widespread interest in developing new types of spintronic devices based on industrially relevant semiconductors, in which a spin-polarized current flows through a lateral channel between a spin-polarized source and drain. However, the transformation of spin information into large electrical signals is limited by spin relaxation, so that the magnetoresistive signals are below 1% (ref. 2). Here we report large magnetoresistance effects (61% at 5 K), which correspond to large output signals (65 mV), in devices where the non-magnetic channel is a multiwall carbon nanotube that spans a 1.5 microm gap between epitaxial electrodes of the highly spin polarized manganite La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3. This spintronic system combines a number of favourable properties that enable this performance; the long spin lifetime in nanotubes due to the small spin-orbit coupling of carbon; the high Fermi velocity in nanotubes that limits the carrier dwell time; the high spin polarization in the manganite electrodes, which remains high right up to the manganite-nanotube interface; and the resistance of the interfacial barrier for spin injection. We support these conclusions regarding the interface using density functional theory calculations. The success of our experiments with such chemically and geometrically different materials should inspire new avenues in materials selection for future spintronics applications.     

Kondo physics in carbon nanotubes

The connection of electrical leads to wire-like molecules is a logical step in the development of molecular electronics, but also allows studies of fundamental physics. For example, metallic carbon nanotubes are quantum wires that have been found to act as one-dimensional quantum dots, Luttinger liquids, proximity-induced superconductors and ballistic and diffusive one-dimensional metals. Here we report that electrically contacted single-walled carbon nanotubes can serve as powerful probes of Kondo physics, demonstrating the universality of the Kondo effect. Arising in the prototypical case from the interaction between a localized impurity magnetic moment and delocalized electrons in a metallic host, the Kondo effect has been used to explain enhanced low-temperature scattering from magnetic impurities in metals, and also occurs in transport through semiconductor quantum dots. The far greater tunability of dots (in our case, nanotubes) compared with atomic impurities renders new classes of Kondo-like effects accessible. Our nanotube devices differ from previous systems in which Kondo effects have been observed, in that they are one-dimensional quantum dots with three-dimensional metal (gold) reservoirs. This allows us to observe Kondo resonances for very large electron numbers (N) in the dot, and approaching the unitary limit (where the transmission reaches its maximum possible value). Moreover, we detect a previously unobserved Kondo effect, occurring for even values of N in a magnetic field.     

Formation of ordered ice nanotubes inside carbon nanotubes

Following their discovery, carbon nanotubes have attracted interest not only for their unusual electrical and mechanical properties, but also because their hollow interior can serve as a nanometre-sized capillary, mould or template in material fabrication. The ability to encapsulate a material in a nanotube also offers new possibilities for investigating dimensionally confined phase transitions. Particularly intriguing is the conjecture that matter within the narrow confines of a carbon nanotube might exhibit a solid-liquid critical point beyond which the distinction between solid and liquid phases disappears. This unusual feature, which cannot occur in bulk material, would allow for the direct and continuous transformation of liquid matter into a solid. Here we report simulations of the behaviour of water encapsulated in carbon nanotubes that suggest the existence of a variety of new ice phases not seen in bulk ice, and of a solid-liquid critical point. Using carbon nanotubes with diameters ranging from 1.1 nm to 1.4 nm and applied axial pressures of 50 MPa to 500 MPa, we find that water can exhibit a first-order freezing transition to hexagonal and heptagonal ice nanotubes, and a continuous phase transformation into solid-like square or pentagonal ice nanotubes.     

碳纳米管的合成与制备

金属纳米颗粒和碳纳米管是两种重要的纳米材料,要实现碳纳米管的大批量制备,必须首先解决催化剂连续投放问题和催化剂与产物及时导出的问题.通过特殊的反应装置和工艺可以实现碳纳米管的连续制备,从而达到低成本大批量制备碳纳米管的目的.本文采用一个简单的方法合成了铁钴(Fe/Co)纳米颗粒,并采用化学气相沉积法实现了碳纳米管的批量合成,纳米颗粒的尺寸分布均匀,碳纳米管管径均匀、高纯度、结构完美.合成的碳纳米管机械强度高,同时还有独特的金属或半导体导电性.     

碳纳米管的提纯及表征

为了获得高纯碳纳米管,对用电弧催化法合成的碳纳米管粗产物进行了纯化处理.根据阳极电弧催化法制备碳纳米管的3种产物(网状物、膜状物和棒状物)的杂质性质和特点,用微孔膜、甲苯萃取,浓盐酸酸洗、混酸氧化和空气氧化法分别对3种产物采用选择性清除法去除杂质,得到了质量分数在90%以上的单壁碳纳米管.并利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、热重分析(TGA)和拉曼(Raman)光谱等手段对提纯的碳纳米管进行观察、分析和表征.结果显示,该提纯方法比其它方法回收率高,纯度高,氧化条件柔和,实验过程易于控制.     

Manipulation and cutting of carbon nanotubes

Nanomanipulation plays an important role in nanofabrication, it is also a technology necessary in exploring the secrets of nanoworld, and it thus beco mesa start point to research future nanomachine. In this study, manipulation and cutting of carbon nanotubes have been conducted in order to examine whether we can move a nanocomponent from one site to another by using the tip of atomic fo rce microscope (AFM). The technique may also be valuable for providing the const ructive materials of nanofabrication. While exploring the method for manipulatin g and cutting of nanotubes, some new phenomena have been observed during the process. Results show that carbon nanotubes present a feature of deformation combin ing bending and distortion when subjected to large mechanical forces exerted by the tip of AFM. In special cases, long carbon nanotubes can be cut into two part s, by which we can remove the part where crystal lattice is flawed, and therefor e a perfect nanocomponent can be obtained.     

碳纳米管的制备与应用

综述了清华大学机械工程系纳米碳材料实验室10年来在碳纳米管相关领域的研究成果。采用浮动催化法制备了多壁碳纳米管、单壁碳纳米管、双壁碳纳米管和定向碳纳米管薄膜,针对各种产物的结构特点,研究了碳纳米管在力学、电学、复合材料、双电层电容器、场发射、储氢和环保等方面的性能。不同类型的碳纳米管具有不同的力学、电学和吸附性能,具有潜在的应用前景。     

Gate-voltage control of spin interactions between electrons and nuclei in a semiconductor.

Semiconductors are ubiquitous in device electronics, because their charge distributions can be conveniently manipulated with voltages to perform logic operations. Achieving a similar level of control over the spin degrees of freedom, either from electrons or nuclei, could provide intriguing prospects for both information processing and the study of fundamental solid-state physics issues. Here we report procedures that carry out the controlled transfer of spin angular momentum between electrons-confined to two dimensions and subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field-and the nuclei of the host semiconductor, using gate voltages only. We show that the spin transfer rate can be enhanced near a ferromagnetic ground state of the electron system, and that the induced nuclear spin polarization can be subsequently stored and 'read out'. These techniques can also be combined into a spectroscopic tool to detect the low-energy collective excitations in the electron system that promote the spin transfer. The existence of such excitations is contingent on appropriate electron-electron correlations, and these can be tuned by changing, for example, the electron density via a gate voltage.     

Preparation of double-walled carbon nanotubes

Double-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared using the floating chemical vapor deposition with methane as carbon source and adding small amount of sulfur into the ferrocene catalyst. The optimized technological parameters are: the reaction temperature is 1200℃; the catalyst vapor temperature is 80℃; the flow rate of argon is 2000 SCCM; the flow rate of methane is 5 SCCM. The purified DWNTs under these optimized technological parameters have high purity above 90 wt%.     

Organic modification of carbon nanotubes

The organic modification of carbon nanotubes is a novel research field being developed recently. In this article, the history and newest progress of organic modification of carbon nanotubes are reviewed from two aspects:organic covalent modification and organic noncovalent modification of carbon nanotubes. The preparation and properties of organic modified carbon nanotubes are discussed in detail. In addition, the prospective development of organic modification of carbon nanotubes is suggested.     

Orbital Kondo effect in carbon nanotubes

Progress in the fabrication of nanometre-scale electronic devices is opening new opportunities to uncover deeper aspects of the Kondo effect--a characteristic phenomenon in the physics of strongly correlated electrons. Artificial single-impurity Kondo systems have been realized in various nanostructures, including semiconductor quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and individual molecules. The Kondo effect is usually regarded as a spin-related phenomenon, namely the coherent exchange of the spin between a localized state and a Fermi sea of delocalized electrons. In principle, however, the role of the spin could be replaced by other degrees of freedom, such as an orbital quantum number. Here we show that the unique electronic structure of carbon nanotubes enables the observation of a purely orbital Kondo effect. We use a magnetic field to tune spin-polarized states into orbital degeneracy and conclude that the orbital quantum number is conserved during tunnelling. When orbital and spin degeneracies are present simultaneously, we observe a strongly enhanced Kondo effect, with a multiple splitting of the Kondo resonance at finite field and predicted to obey a so-called SU4 symmetry.     

Quantum supercurrent transistors in carbon nanotubes

Electronic transport through nanostructures is greatly affected by the presence of superconducting leads. If the interface between the nanostructure and the superconductors is sufficiently transparent, a dissipationless current (supercurrent) can flow through the device owing to the Josephson effect. A Josephson coupling, as measured by the zero-resistance supercurrent, has been obtained using tunnel barriers, superconducting constrictions, normal metals and semiconductors. The coupling mechanisms vary from tunnelling to Andreev reflection. The latter process has hitherto been observed only in normal-type systems with a continuous density of electronic states. Here we investigate a supercurrent flowing through a discrete density of states-that is, the quantized single particle energy states of a quantum dot, or 'artificial atom', placed between superconducting electrodes. For this purpose, we exploit the quantum properties of finite-sized carbon nanotubes. By means of a gate electrode, successive discrete energy states are tuned on- and off-resonance with the Fermi energy in the superconducting leads, resulting in a periodic modulation of the critical current and a non-trivial correlation between the conductance in the normal state and the supercurrent. We find, in good agreement with existing theory, that the product of the critical current and the normal state resistance becomes an oscillating function, in contrast to being constant as in previously explored regimes.     

单层碳纳米管的纯化与表征

利用焙烧、温和氧化和离心等方法除去电弧放电法制备的单层碳纳米管中的无定形碳、金属催化剂和石墨碎片等杂质．并利用TG-DTA、XRD、SEM等对纯化过程中的样品进行表征。实验证明,该方法对单层碳纳米管的纯化是比较有效的．且经济简便,可以得到纯度为90％．产率为20％的单层碳纳米管。     

Electrical generation and absorption of phonons in carbon nanotubes

The interplay between discrete vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom directly influences the chemical and physical properties of molecular systems. This coupling is typically studied through optical methods such as fluorescence, absorption and Raman spectroscopy. Molecular electronic devices provide new opportunities for exploring vibration-electronic interactions at the single molecule level. For example, electrons injected from a scanning tunnelling microscope tip into a metal can excite vibrational excitations of a molecule situated in the gap between tip and metal. Here we show how current directly injected into a freely suspended individual single-wall carbon nanotube can be used to excite, detect and control a specific vibrational mode of the molecule. Electrons tunnelling inelastically into the nanotube cause a non-equilibrium occupation of the radial breathing mode, leading to both stimulated emission and absorption of phonons by successive electron tunnelling events. We exploit this effect to measure a phonon lifetime of the order of 10 ns, corresponding to a quality factor of well over 10,000 for this nanomechanical oscillator.     

准直纳米碳管的高效制备

给出了用阳极电弧在惰性气体(氦气、氩气)气氛下,蒸发含金属催化剂的石墨棒,高效制备宏观量的优质准直单壁纳米碳管的方法和条件以及纯化产物的方法.实验所得的网状和膜状产物分别含有63%和50%的准直单壁纳米碳管,阴极的棒状产物含有大量的多壁纳米碳管.准直单壁纳米碳管可用硝酸或高锰酸钾提纯多壁纳米碳管得到.纳米碳管管束的定向排列是由弧电场引起的磁致效应而形成的.     

Inner-tubular physicochemical processes of carbon nanotubes

Nanosized inner cavities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) afford quasi-one-dimensional (1D) confined space, in which materials adsorbed or filled are of reactivity greatly different from the materials adsorbed on a planar surface and quite a number of curious physicochemical processes will possibly occur. In other words, 1D CNT nanochannels may serve as 搉anosized test tubes? In this article, on the basis of the unique chemical and physical properties of CNTs, the latest progresses of the research on peculiar inner-tubular physicochemical processes of CNTs are briefly reviewed from several aspects. The extraordinary 1D adsorption, capillary filling and nanoscale-confined reaction are discussed in detail. Moreover, the characteristics of 搉anosized test tubes?are summarized and many unfamiliar inner cavity chemical processes are expected. Finally, the future direction and challenges on basic researches and potential applications of inner-tubular chemistry of CNTs are discussed.     

Y型分叉碳纳米管的研究

Y型结构碳纳米管几何结构独特,具有典型的应用价值,可作为网络状增强组分应用于高性能复合材料中,在三极管纳米电子器件等领域发挥作用,因此引起众多研究者的关注.用电弧法制备了Y型碳纳米管,研究了它的形成机理和制备工艺参数,并利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、原子力显微镜(AFM)和电子能谱(EDS)考察了它们的形貌和结构特征.研究结果显示,Y型碳管在其拐点处存在催化剂粒子,由于催化剂的作用,在体系内产生了七元环拓扑缺陷,进而形成Y型分叉结构.Y型碳管结构的形态与制备参数有关,催化剂含量愈高,形成Y型和其它奇异结构碳管愈多.     

碳纳米管操纵中的微观摩擦问题

为了充分掌握纳米操纵中的微观摩擦规律,消除微观摩擦对纳米操纵的不利影响,该文利用原子力显微镜(AFM)的超微探针作为操纵工具,对具有优异力学和电学特性的碳纳米管在不同的表面状况下进行了剪切和操纵。实验中发现,当基底的表面成分和表面形貌不同的时候,操纵过程中的微观摩擦力会有明显的变化。从与光刻技术相结合的操纵实验中可以看出,光刻后残留的光刻胶会大大增加碳纳米管与基底间的微观摩擦力,并加剧操纵工具——AFM针尖的污染与磨损。