# Scaling of Resistance and Electron Mean Free Path of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

## TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates how resistance and electron mean free path in single-walled carbon nanotubes scale with length across a wide range, revealing temperature-dependent scattering mechanisms and evidence of localization effects.

## Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive measurement of resistance scaling and mean free path in single-walled carbon nanotubes over four orders of magnitude in length.

## Key findings

- Electron mean free path is limited by impurity scattering at low temperatures.
- At high temperatures, the mean free path decreases due to electron-phonon scattering.
- Resistance increases exponentially at very long lengths, indicating localization effects.

## Abstract

We present an experimental investigation on the scaling of resistance in individual single walled carbon nanotube devices with channel lengths that vary four orders of magnitude on the same sample. The electron mean free path is obtained from the linear scaling of resistance with length at various temperatures. The low temperature mean free path is determined by impurity scattering, while at high temperature the mean free path decreases with increasing temperature, indicating that it is limited by electron-phonon scattering. An unusually long mean free path at room temperature has been experimentally confirmed. Exponentially increasing resistance with length at extremely long length scales suggests anomalous localization effects.