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Molecular transistors

Potential modulations along carbon nanotubes

Nature volume 404, pages 834–835 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

True molecular-scale transistors have been realized using semiconducting carbon nanotubes1,2,3,4,5, but no direct measurements of the underlying electronic structure of these have been made. Here we use a new scanning-probe technique to investigate the potential profile of these devices. Surprisingly, we find that the potential does not vary in a smooth, monotonic way, but instead shows marked modulations with a typical period of about 40 nm. Our results have direct relevance for modelling this promising class of molecular devices.

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Figure 1: Scanning-gate potential imaging (SGPI) along a semiconducting carbon nanotube.

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Author notes

  1. Sander J. Tans

    Present address: Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Physics and DIMES, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, Delft, 2628 CJ, The Netherlands

    Sander J. Tans & Cees Dekker

Authors
  1. Sander J. Tans
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  2. Cees Dekker
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Correspondence to Cees Dekker.

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Tans, S., Dekker, C. Potential modulations along carbon nanotubes. Nature 404, 834–835 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35009026

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