Defect-induced multicomponent electron scattering in single-walled carbon nanotubes

Dario Bercioux, Gilles Buchs, Hermann Grabert, Oliver Gröning

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17 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a detailed comparison between theoretical predictions on electron scattering processes in metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes with defects and experimental data obtained by scanning tunneling spectroscopy of Ar+ irradiated nanotubes. To this purpose, we first develop a formalism for studying quantum transport properties of defected nanotubes in the presence of source and drain contacts and a scanning tunneling microscopy tip. The formalism is based on a field theoretical approach describing low-energy electrons. We account for the lack of translational invariance induced by defects within the so-called extended k•p approximation, which allows for multicomponent scattering with new scattering channels that are associated with exchanged momenta larger than the difference between the K points of the nanotube. The theoretical model reproduces the features of the particle-in-a-box-like states observed experimentally. Further, the comparison between theoretical and experimental Fourier-transformed local density of states maps yields clear signatures for intervalley and intravalley electron scattering processes depending on the tube chirality.

Original languageEnglish
Article number165439
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume83
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 25 2011
Externally publishedYes

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