Quasi-one-dimensional electron gas bound to a helium-coated nanotube

TL;DR

This paper investigates a novel quasi-one-dimensional electron gas system formed by electrons bound to helium-coated nanotubes, combining theoretical modeling of the potential and predictions of bound states and many-body properties.

Contribution

It introduces a new quasi-1D electron system on helium-coated nanotubes and models its potential and bound states using a semi-classical approach.

Findings

Predicted bound states for electrons on helium-coated nanotubes.

Calculated the potential using an electron-helium pseudopotential and dynamic image term.

Provided insights into possible many-body behaviors of this system.

Abstract

A much-studied system is the quasi-2D electron gas in image-potential bound states at the surface of helium and hydrogen. In this paper, we report on an analogous quasi-1D system: electrons bound by image-like polarization forces to the surface of a helium-coated carbon nanotube. The potential is computed from an electron-helium pseudopotential, plus a dynamic image term evaluated from a semi-classical model of the nanotube's response function. Predictions are made for the bound states and potential many-body properties of this novel electron gas for a specific choice of tube radius and film thickness.