Magnetoelectronic and optical properties of carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Magnetoelectronic and optical properties of carbon nanotubes are, respectively, studied within the ${\mathrm{sp}}^{3}$ tight-binding model and the gradient approximation. They strongly depend on the magnitude and the direction of the magnetic field, the nanotube geometry (radius and chiral angle), and the Zeeman splitting. The magnetic field would lead to the change of energy gap, the destruction of state degeneracy, and the coupling of different angular momenta. Hence there are magnetic-field-dependent absorption frequencies and more absorption peaks. The types of carbon nanotubes predominate in the band structure and thus the range of absorption frequencies and the number of absorption peaks. The Zeeman splitting makes the semiconductor-metal transition occur at lower magnetic flux. It metalizes armchair carbon nanotubes in the presence of the perpendicular magnetic field. However, it does not affect the optical excitations except for metallic carbon nanotubes.