One-dimensional transport in bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This study investigates electron transport in single-walled carbon nanotube bundles, revealing power-law behavior consistent with Luttinger liquid theory at low conductance and complex fluctuations at higher conductance levels.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of Luttinger liquid behavior in nanotube bundles through temperature and gate voltage dependence measurements.

Findings

Power-law conductance decrease at low temperatures for low conductance samples

Large gate voltage fluctuations at low temperatures for high conductance samples

Consistency of power-law exponents with Luttinger liquid predictions

Abstract

We report measurements of the temperature and gate voltage dependence for individual bundles (ropes) of single-walled nanotubes. When the conductance is less than about e^2/h at room temperature, it is found to decrease as an approximate power law of temperature down to the region where Coulomb blockade sets in. The power-law exponents are consistent with those expected for electron tunneling into a Luttinger liquid. When the conductance is greater than e^2/h at room temperature, it changes much more slowly at high temperatures, but eventually develops very large fluctuations as a function of gate voltage when sufficiently cold. We discuss the interpretation of these results in terms of transport through a Luttinger liquid.