Interband optical transitions in left- and right-handed single-wall carbon nanotubes

Ge. G. Samsonidze, A. Grüneis, R. Saito, A. Jorio, A. G. Souza Filho, G. Dresselhaus, and M. S. Dresselhaus
Phys. Rev. B 69, 205402 – Published 13 May 2004
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Abstract

The nanotube handedness is defined for the complete determination of the nanotube atomic structure by its diameter and chirality. The interband electronic optical transition matrix elements are calculated and the dipole selection rules are derived for chiral carbon nanotubes and circularly polarized light propagating along the nanotube axis. The dipole selection rules are shown to depend on the nanotube handedness and on the helicity of the light, and this dependence is responsible for the optical activity of carbon nanotubes, when time-reversal symmetry is broken. The optical absorption spectra calculated for opposite light helicity or nanotube handedness show circular dichroism in chiral nanotubes. The optical activity of chiral nanotubes allows the nanotube handedness to be determined in optical experiments using circularly polarized light.

  • Received 11 November 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.69.205402

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Ge. G. Samsonidze1, A. Grüneis4, R. Saito4, A. Jorio5, A. G. Souza Filho6, G. Dresselhaus3, and M. S. Dresselhaus1,2

  • 1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
  • 3Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
  • 4Department of Physics, Tohoku University and CREST JST, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
  • 5Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30123-970, Brazil
  • 6Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará 60455-900, Brazil

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Vol. 69, Iss. 20 — 15 May 2004

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