Flexible control of the Peierls transition in metallic C$_{60}$ polymers

TL;DR

This paper presents a theory explaining the metal-semiconductor transition in C60 polymers, highlighting how electron-phonon interactions and doping influence transition temperature, with implications for high-conductivity nanowire development.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model that explains the transition temperature and predicts its modulation by doping and irradiation in C60 polymers.

Findings

Transition temperature matches experimental data

Electron doping lowers the transition temperature

Prolonged irradiation further reduces T_c

Abstract

The metal-semiconductor transition of peanut-shaped fullerene (C$_{60}$) polymers is clarified by considering the electron-phonon coupling in the uneven structure of the polymers. We established a theory that accounts for the transition temperature $T_c$ reported in a recent experiment and also suggests that $T_c$ is considerably lowered by electron doping or prolonged irradiation during synthesis. The decrease in $T_c$ is an appealing phenomenon with regard to realizing high-conductivity C$_{60}$-based nanowires even at low temperatures.