Optical absorption and plasma instabilities for nanotubes with spin-orbit interaction

Godfrey Gumbs; Antonios Balassis; Yonatan Abranyos

doi:10.1117/12.676473

29 August 2006 Optical absorption and plasma instabilities for nanotubes with spin-orbit interaction

Godfrey Gumbs, Antonios Balassis, Yonatan Abranyos

Proceedings Volume 6308, Photonics for Space Environments XI; 63080K (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.676473
Event: SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have come under intense theoretical and experimental investigation focused on both their transport and photonic properties. Of recent interest is the observation that when a gate voltage is applied perpendicular to the axis of the nanotube, it can lead to spin-orbit interaction (SOI). This is of the same nature as the Rashba-Bychkov SOI at an asymmetric semiconductor heterojunction. We have calculated the "band states" for a cylindrical nanotube in the presence of SOI and then used the results to determine the collective plasma oscillations corresponding to electron transitions between the spin-split subbands for single-wall and multiwall nanotubes. These collective plasma modes determine the peak positions for the intersubband absorption coefficient as well as the energy loss spectrum. We show that the plasmon excitations for coaxial tubules have a region of instability which could lead to amplification in the energy transfer spectrum. The frequency regime where this instability occurs could be in the terahertz range. This source of radiation may be suitable for use in space-based detectors because of the durability and robustnes of carbon nanotubes.

Citation Download Citation

Godfrey Gumbs, Antonios Balassis, and Yonatan Abranyos "Optical absorption and plasma instabilities for nanotubes with spin-orbit interaction", Proc. SPIE 6308, Photonics for Space Environments XI, 63080K (29 August 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.676473

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