Optical absorption of graphite and single-wall carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 78; no. 8; pp. 1099 - 1105
• Main Authors: SAITO, R, GRÜNEIS, A, SAMSONIDZE, G. G, DRESSELHAUS, G, DRESSELHAUS, M. S, JORIO, A, CANCADO, L. G, PIMENTA, M. A, SOUZA, A. G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-05-2004
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Dipoles; Electronic structure; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Graphite; Luminescence; Nanotubes; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Singularities; Two dimensional; Resonance Raman scattering; Van Hove singularity; Brillouin zones; Photoluminescence; Carbon nanotubes; Electronic density of states; Selection rules; Optical polarization; Electronic structure; Singlewalled nanotube; Graphite; Dipolar transition; Absorption spectra; Matrix elements
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-003-2459-z

A review of the electronic dipole transitions in graphite and single-wall carbon nanotubes is presented. Because of its singular electronic structure, the optical absorption matrix element as a function of wave vector has a node in the two-dimensional Brillouin zone of graphite, which depends linearly on the optical polarization direction. In the case of the single-wall carbon nanotubes, the dipole selection rule and the van Hove singularity in the joint density of states will give a characteristic behavior, which is observed by luminescence and resonance Raman spectroscopy.