Transmission Through Carbon Nanotubes With Polyhedral Caps

TL;DR

This study investigates electron transmission in capped carbon nanotubes, revealing how localized states and defects influence transmission probabilities and interference effects, with implications for molecular electronics.

Contribution

The paper introduces a detailed analysis of how localized states and defects affect electron transmission in capped carbon nanotubes, highlighting the role of interference and hybridization effects.

Findings

Transmission probability mimics local density of states.

Localized states cause antiresonances with zero transmission.

Defects near the cap induce resonances with high current-carrying capacity.

Abstract

We study electron transport between capped carbon nanotubes and a substrate, and relate the transmission probability to the local density of states in the cap. Our results show that the transmission probability mimics the behavior of the density of states at all energies except those that correspond to localized states in the cap. Close proximity of a substrate causes hybridization of the localized state. As a result, new transmission paths open from the substrate to nanotube continuum states via the localized states in the cap. Interference between various transmission paths gives rise to antiresonances in the transmission probability, with the minimum transmission equal to zero at energies of the localized states. Defects in the nanotube that are placed close to the cap cause resonances in the transmission probability, instead of antiresonances, near the localized energy levels. Depending on the spatial position of defects, these resonant states are capable of carrying a large current. These results are relevant to carbon nanotube based studies of molecular electronics and probe tip applications.