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Science 15 September 1995:
Vol. 269. no. 5230, pp. 1550 - 1553
DOI: 10.1126/science.269.5230.1550
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Articles

Unraveling Nanotubes: Field Emission from an Atomic Wire

A. G. Rinzler 1, J. H. Hafner 1, P. Nikolaev 1, P. Nordlander 1, D. T. Colbert 1, R. E. Smalley 1, L. Lou 2, S. G. Kim 3, and D. Tománek 3

1 Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice Quantum Institute, and Departments of Chemistry and Physics. Mail Stop 100, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
2 Wavefunction Corp. 18401 von Karman, Suite 370, Irvine, CA 92715, USA.
3 Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Fundamental Materials Research, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1116, USA.

Field emission of electrons from individually mounted carbon nanotubes has been found to be dramatically enhanced when the nanotube tips are opened by laser evaporation or oxidative etching. Emission currents of 0.1 to 1 microampere were readily obtained at room temperature with bias voltages of less than 80 volts. The emitting structures are concluded to be linear chains of carbon atoms, Cn, (n = 10 to 100), pulled out from the open edges of the graphene wall layers of the nanotube by the force of the electric field, in a process that resembles unraveling the sleeve of a sweater.

Submitted on April 13, 1995
Accepted on July 27, 1995


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