Electron energy loss spectroscopy measurement of the optical gaps on individual boron nitride single-walled and multiwalled nanotubes

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 95; no. 12; pp. 127601.1 - 127601.4
• Main Authors: ARENAL, R, STEPHAN, O, KOCIAK, M, TAVERNA, D, LOISEAU, A, COLLIEX, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ridge, NY American Physical Society 16-09-2005
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron and ion emission by liquids and solids; impact phenomena; Electron energy loss spectra; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic structure of nanoscale materials : clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocrystals; Exact sciences and technology; Impact phenomena (including electron spectra and sputtering); Physics; Continuum; Dielectric function; Electron energy loss spectra; Energy gap; Singlewalled nanotube; Multiwalled nanotube; Boron nitrides; Grazing incidence
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.95.127601

Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy experiments have been performed in an electron microscope on several individual boron nitride (BN) single-, double-, and triple-walled nanotubes, whose diameters and number of shells have been carefully measured. In the low-loss region (from 2 to 50 eV) the spectra have been analyzed within the framework of the continuum dielectric theory, leading to the conclusion of a weak influence of out-of-plane contribution to the dielectric response of the tubes. The gap has been measured to be independent of the nanotubes geometry, and close to the in-plane gap value of hexagonal BN (5.8+/-0.2 eV).