Electronic Phenomena in Carbon Nanotubes: Quantum Mechanics in Low-Dimensional Systems with Topological Complexity

这个个人研究者奖授予克莱姆森大学的一名年轻教师，另一个奖项授予伦斯勒理工大学的一名研究人员。该项目将系统地和定量地研究碳纳米管局部电子结构的变化作为拓扑对称性破缺的函数，并将其与长程输运行为以及与周围环境（即接触）相互作用的修改相关联。最近开发的合成，操作和化学修饰技术，将与原子尺度的电子表征，扫描探针显微镜和光谱的基础上，产生一个直接可视化的拓扑结构在低维固体的影响。几种形式的纳米管结构，包括有序的聚集簇和单个的单壁纳米管，将在伦斯勒理工学院使用电弧放电和化学气相沉积合成。 拓扑表征实验将在克莱姆森大学使用低温扫描隧道显微镜和光谱学进行。这个项目将提供一些基本的见解纳米管的电子性质时，他们变得不完善。这对于基于纳米管的器件应用应该是非常有用的，因为对称性破缺将强烈影响这些低维系统的电子性质。参与该计划的学生和博士后同事将接受物理学和材料科学以及纳米技术中一些基本实验工具的跨学科培训。碳纳米管是一种迷人的结构，具有显着的物理性能。它们是石墨片的无缝圆柱体，直径在纳米尺寸和大的纵横比。这些物体的电子结构，可以从金属到类超导体，取决于晶格螺旋度和局部缺陷的存在，后者会改变拓扑结构和组成。研究这些结构中的缺陷（或更一般的对称性破缺）对它们的电子性质的影响对于作为电子器件的应用是重要的。这是一项授予克莱姆森大学一名年轻教员的个人研究奖，另一项授予伦斯勒理工大学一名研究员。该项目将系统和定量地研究局部电子结构的变化作为对称性破缺的函数，并将其与长程输运行为相关联。 几种形式的纳米管结构将使用电弧放电和化学气相沉积。低温扫描隧道显微镜将用于这些结构的表征，以量化对称性破缺的影响。该项目是克莱姆森大学物理系和伦斯勒理工学院材料科学与工程系之间的跨学科努力，将接受该项目培训的学生和博士后同事将接受两个学科的培训。此外，学生将培训在纳米技术中重要的基本实验技术，这将成为未来凝聚态物理和材料科学的重要领域。

This individual investigator award is to a young faculty member at Clemson University, with a sub-award to a researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic University. This project will systematically and quantitatively study the changes in local electronic structure of carbon nanotubes as a function of topological symmetry breaking and correlate it to long-range transport behavior, as well as to the modification of their interactions with their surroundings (i.e. contacts). Recently developed techniques of synthesis, manipulation, and chemical modification, will be coupled with atomic scale electronic characterization, based on scanning probe microscopies and spectroscopies, to yield a direct visualization of topological effects in low-dimensional solids. Several forms of nanotube structures, both ordered aggregate clusters and individual single walled nanotubes, will be synthesized at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute using electric arc discharge and chemical vapor deposition. The topological characterization experiments will be performed using the low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at Clemson University. This project will provide a number of basic insights into the electronic nature of nanotubes when they become imperfect. This should be extremely useful for device applications based on nanotubes, since symmetry breaking will strongly influence the electronic properties of these low dimensional systems. Students and post-doctoral associates involved in the program will receive interdisciplinary training in physics and materials science and in some of the basic experimental tools in nanotechnology.%%%Carbon nanotubes are fascinating structures with remarkable physical properties. They are seamless cylinders of graphite sheets, with diameters in the nanometer size and large aspect ratios. The electronic structure of these objects, which can vary from metallic to semiconductor-like, depends on lattice helicity and the presence of local defects, the latter of which changes topology and composition. It is important to study the effect of defects (or more generally symmetry breaking) in these structures on their electronic properties, for applications as electronic devices. This is an individual investigator award to a young faculty member at Clemson University, with a sub-award to a researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic University. The project that will systematically and quantitatively study the changes in local electronic structure as a function of symmetry breaking and correlate it to long-range transport behavior. Several forms of nanotube structures will be fabricated using electric arc discharge and chemical vapor deposition. Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy will be used for the characterization of these structures to quantify the effects of symmetry breaking. The project is an interdisciplinary effort between the physics department at Clemson University and the materials science and engineering department at Renssleaer Polytechnic Institute and the students and post-doctoral associates who will be trained on this project will receive training in both disciplines. In addition the students will train on the basic experimental techniques that are important in nanotechnology, which is becoming an important area in future condensed matter physics and materials science.***