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

这个个人研究者奖是给克莱姆森大学的一名年轻教员，还有一个分奖给伦斯勒理工大学的一名研究员。本项目将系统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破缺的函数，并将其与远程传输行为以及它们与周围环境（即接触）相互作用的改变联系起来。最近发展的合成、操作和化学修饰技术，将与基于扫描探针显微镜和光谱学的原子尺度电子表征相结合，以产生低维固体拓扑效应的直接可视化。伦斯勒理工学院将利用电弧放电和化学气相沉积技术合成几种形式的纳米管结构，包括有序的聚集簇和单独的单壁纳米管。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。当纳米管变得不完美时，这个项目将为纳米管的电子性质提供一些基本的见解。这对于基于纳米管的器件应用非常有用，因为对称破缺将强烈影响这些低维系统的电子特性。参与该项目的学生和博士后将接受物理和材料科学以及纳米技术一些基本实验工具的跨学科培训。碳纳米管是一种令人着迷的结构，具有非凡的物理性质。它们是石墨片的无缝圆柱体，直径为纳米尺寸，宽高比大。这些物体的电子结构，可以从金属到半导体，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（或更普遍的对称破缺）对其电子特性的影响对于电子器件的应用是很重要的。这是克莱姆森大学的一名年轻教员获得的个人研究者奖，伦斯勒理工大学的一名研究员获得了分奖。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破缺的函数，并将其与远程输运行为联系起来。将采用电弧放电和化学气相沉积的方法制备多种形式的纳米管结构。低温扫描隧道显微镜将用于表征这些结构，以量化对称破缺的影响。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，将在该项目中接受培训的学生和博士后将接受两个学科的培训。此外，学生还将学习纳米技术的基本实验技术，纳米技术将成为未来凝聚态物理和材料科学的一个重要领域

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.***