Photoluminescence intermittency in an individual single-walled carbon nanotube at room temperature

Abstract

We described the photoluminescence (PL) properties of individual micelle-encapsulated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) at room temperature. Single PL peak from isolated individual SWNT with a chiral index of (6, 5) showed a linear increase and saturation behavior of the PL intensity. Unusual PL intensity fluctuation in the temporal evolutions of the PL intensity, referred to as PL intermittency, was seen with some SWNTs, while the PL intensity with most SWNTs remained at a constant amplitude. The mechanism of the PL intermittency was discussed.