Investigating valley-dependent current generation due to asymmetric energy dispersion for charge-transfer from a quantum dot to single-walled carbon nanotube

Abstract

AbstractSingle-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), which consist of a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms, possess unique mechanical, electrical, optical and thermal properties. SWCNT can be synthesized in diverse chiral indexes to determine certain attributes. This work theoretically investigates electron transport in different directions along SWCNT. The electron studied in this research transfers from the quantum dot that can possibly move to the right or left direction in SWCNT with different valley-dependent probability. These results show that valley polarized current is present. The valley current in the right and left directions has a composition of valley degrees of freedom where its components (K and K′) are not identical. Such a result can be traced theoretically by certain effects. That firstly is the curvature effect on SWCNT in which the hopping integral between $$\pi $$ π electrons from the flat graphene is altered, and another is curvature-inducing $$\sigma -\pi $$ σ - π mixture. Due to these effects, the band structure of SWCNT is asymmetric in certain chiral indexes leading to the asymmetry of valley electron transport. Our results exhibit that the zigzag chiral indexes is the only type making electron transport symmetrical that is different to the result from the other chiral index types which are the armchair and chiral. This work also illustrates the characteristic of the electron wave function propagating from the initial point to the tip of the tube over time, and the current density of the probability in specific times. Additionally, our research simulates the result from the dipole interaction between the electron in QD and the tube that impacts the lifetime of the electron being in QD. The simulation portrays that more dipole interaction encourages the electron transfer to the tube, thereby shortening the lifetime. We as well suggest the reversed electron transfer from the tube to QD that the time duration of such transfer is much less than the opposite transfer owing to the different orbital of the electron’s states. Valley polarized current in SWCNTs may also be used in the development of energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors. The performance and effectiveness of nanoscale devices, including transistors, solar cells, artificial antennas, quantum computers, and nano electronic circuits, must be improved in order to achieve a variety of benefits.