Optical properties of carbon nanotubes

Part of a series of articles on
Nanomaterials
Carbon nanotubes
Fullerenes
Other nanoparticles
Nanostructured materials

The optical properties of carbon nanotubes are highly relevant for materials science. The way those materials interact with electromagnetic radiation is unique in many respects, as evidenced by their peculiar absorption, photoluminescence (fluorescence), and Raman spectra.

Carbon nanotubes are unique "one-dimensional" materials, whose hollow fibers (tubes) have a unique and highly ordered atomic and electronic structure, and can be made in a wide range of dimension. The diameter typically varies from 0.4 to 40 nm (i.e., a range of ~100 times). However, the length can reach 55.5 cm (21.9 in), implying a length-to-diameter ratio as high as 132,000,000:1; which is unequaled by any other material.[1] Consequently, all the electronic, optical, electrochemical and mechanical properties of the carbon nanotubes are extremely anisotropic (directionally dependent) and tunable.[2]

Applications of carbon nanotubes in optics and photonics are still less developed than in other fields. Some properties that may lead to practical use include tuneability and wavelength selectivity. Potential applications that have been demonstrated include light emitting diodes (LEDs),[3] bolometers[4] and optoelectronic memory.[5]

Apart from direct applications, the optical properties of carbon nanotubes can be very useful in their manufacture and application to other fields. Spectroscopic methods offer the possibility of quick and non-destructive characterization of relatively large amounts of carbon nanotubes, yielding detailed measurements of non-tubular carbon content, tube type and chirality, structural defects, and many other properties that are relevant to those other applications.

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