Carbon nanotube parametric electron pump: A molecular device

We have analyzed the device properties of a single-wall metallic carbon nanotube operated as a parametric electron pump. It is found that a dc current can be pumped out from this molecular device by a cyclic variation of two gate voltages near the nanotube, in the absence of any bias voltage. Due to the particular electronic properties of the nanotube, the pumped current is found to show a remarkable parity effect near the resonant levels, with a rather sensitive dependence on the control parameters of the device such as deformation strength, the amplitude and the phase difference of the gate voltage.