Interference effects in electronic transport through metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes

In a recent paper Liang et al. [Nature (London) 411, 665 (2001)] showed experimentally, that metallic nanotubes, strongly coupled to external electrodes, may act as coherent molecular wave guides for electronic transport. The experimental results were supported by theoretical analysis based on the scattering matrix approach. In this paper we analyze theoretically this problem using a real-space approach, which makes it possible to control quality of interface contacts. Electronic structure of the nanotube is taken into account within the tight-binding model. External electrodes and the central part (sample) are assumed to be made of carbon nanotubes, while the contacts between electrodes and the sample are modeled by appropriate on-site (diagonal) and hopping (off-diagonal) parameters. Conductance is calculated by the Green function technique combined with the Landauer formalism. In the plots displaying conductance versus bias and gate voltages, we have found typical diamond structure patterns, similar to those observed experimentally. In certain cases, however, we have found new features in the patterns, such as a double-diamond substructure.