Carbon nanotubes as molecular quantum wires

Abstract

Numerous studies support the idea that carbon nanotubes can act as molecular quantum wires. The electronic properties of carbon nanotubes were first theorized by the Naval Research Laboratory's researchers. They theorized that even a small change in the winding hexagons along the nanotube can change it from a metal into a large-gap semiconductor. A group from Mildred Dresselhaus at MIT also predicted the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes. Later, studies contributed by researchers from Delft and the University of California, Berkeley found that it is possible for nanotubes to possess delocalized wavefunctions which allow them to behave like real quantum wires.