An electrical probe for mechanical vibrations in suspended carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper develops a microscopic theory for electron-vibration coupling in suspended carbon nanotubes probed by STM, revealing position-dependent interactions that influence transport properties and enable localization of vibrational regions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel microscopic model of electron-vibration coupling in suspended nanotubes, highlighting position-dependent effects on transport.

Findings

Coupling constant varies with position, significant only near vibrational regions.

Transport properties reveal information about vibrational location and size.

The theory predicts measurable effects in STM experiments.

Abstract

The transport properties of a suspended carbon nanotube probed by means of a STM tip are investigated. A microscopic theory of the coupling between electrons and mechanical vibrations is developed. It predicts a position-dependent coupling constant, sizeable only in the region where the vibron is located. This fact has profound consequences on the transport properties, which allow to extract information on the location and size of the vibrating portions of the nanotube.