Metal-to-Semiconductor Transition in Squashed Armchair Carbon Nanotubes

Jun-Qiang Lu, Jian Wu, Wenhui Duan, Feng Liu, Bang-Fen Zhu, and Bing-Lin Gu
Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 156601 – Published 18 April 2003

Abstract

We investigate electronic transport properties of the squashed armchair carbon nanotubes, using tight-binding molecular dynamics and the Green’s function method. We demonstrate a metal-to-semiconductor transition while squashing the nanotubes and a general mechanism for such a transition. It is the distinction of the two sublattices in the nanotube that opens an energy gap near the Fermi energy. We show that the transition has to be achieved by a combined effect of breaking of mirror symmetry and bond formation between the flattened faces in the squashed nanotubes.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 13 January 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.156601

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jun-Qiang Lu1,2, Jian Wu1, Wenhui Duan2, Feng Liu3, Bang-Fen Zhu1, and Bing-Lin Gu1,2

  • 1Center for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
  • 2Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
  • 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 15 — 18 April 2003

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×