Electron Holography of Field-Emitting Carbon Nanotubes

John Cumings; A. Zettl; M. R. McCartney; J. C. H. Spence

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.056804

Electron Holography of Field-Emitting Carbon Nanotubes

John Cumings, A. Zettl, M. R. McCartney, and J. C. H. Spence

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 056804 – Published 18 January 2002

Abstract

Electron holography performed in situ inside a high resolution transmission electron microscope has been used to determine the magnitude and spatial distribution of the electric field surrounding individual field-emitting carbon nanotubes. The electric field (and hence the associated field emission current) is concentrated precisely at the tips of the nanotubes and not at other nanotube defects such as sidewall imperfections. The electric field magnitude and distribution are stable in time, even in cases where the nanotube field emission current exhibits extensive temporal fluctuations.

Received 18 April 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.056804

Authors & Affiliations

John Cumings and A. Zettl^*

Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720

M. R. McCartney¹ and J. C. H. Spence²

¹Center for Solid State Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504