Interference and Interaction in Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This study investigates the electrical resistance and tunneling spectra of multiwall carbon nanotubes, revealing quantum interference effects, quasi-ballistic transport, and a pseudogap consistent with Luttinger-Liquid theory.

Contribution

It provides detailed measurements and analysis of quantum interference, phase-coherence, and interaction effects in multiwall carbon nanotubes, combining experimental data with theoretical discussion.

Findings

Quantum interference dominates magnetoresistance at low temperatures.

Transport is quasi-ballistic due to elastic-scattering length being comparable to nanotube circumference.

A pseudogap observed in tunneling spectra aligns with Luttinger-Liquid theory.

Abstract

We report equilibrium electric resistance R and tunneling spectroscopy dI/dV measurements obtained on single multiwall nanotubes contacted by four metallic Au fingers from above. At low temperature quantum interference phenomena dominate the magnetoresistance. The phase-coherence and elastic-scattering lengths are deduced. Because the latter is of order of the circumference of the nanotubes, transport is quasi-ballistic. This result is supported by a dI/dV spectrum which is in good agreement with the density-of-states (DOS) due to the one-dimensional subbands expected for a perfect single-wall tube. As a function of temperature T the resistance increases on decreasing T and saturates at approx. 1-10 K for all measured nanotubes. R(T) cannot be related to the energy-dependent DOS of graphene but is mainly caused by interaction and interference effects. On a relatively small voltage scale of order 10 meV, a pseudogap is observed in dI/dV which agrees with Luttinger-Liquid theories for nanotubes. Because we have used quantum diffusion based on Fermi-Liquid as well as Luttinger-Liquid theory in trying to understand our results, a large fraction of this paper is devoted to a careful discussion of all our results.