Origin of torsion-induced conductance oscillations in carbon nanotubes

K. S. Nagapriya, Savas Berber, Tzahi Cohen-Karni, Lior Segev, Onit Srur-Lavi, David Tománek, and Ernesto Joselevich
Phys. Rev. B 78, 165417 – Published 21 October 2008

Abstract

We combine electromechanical measurements with ab initio density-functional calculations to settle the controversy about the origin of torsion-induced conductance oscillations in multiwall carbon nanotubes. Contrary to intuition, the observed oscillation period in multiwall tubes exhibits the same inverse-squared diameter dependence as in single-wall tubes with the same diameter. This finding suggests an intrawall origin of the oscillations and an effective electronic decoupling of the walls, which we confirm in calculations of multiwall nanotubes subject to differential torsion. We exclude the alternative origin of the conductance oscillations due to changes in the interwall registry, which would result in a different diameter dependence of the oscillation period.

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  • Received 29 September 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.165417

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

K. S. Nagapriya1, Savas Berber2,*, Tzahi Cohen-Karni1,†, Lior Segev1, Onit Srur-Lavi1, David Tománek2,‡, and Ernesto Joselevich1,§

  • 1Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • 2Physics and Astronomy Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-2320, USA

  • *Permanent address: Physics Department, Gebze Institute of Technology, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
  • Present address: Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
  • tomanek@pa.msu.edu
  • §ernesto.joselevich@weizmann.ac.il

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Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 16 — 15 October 2008

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