Electronic structures of double-walled armchair SiC nanotube under transverse electric fields

By using first-principle calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), the electronic structures of a double-walled armchair (5,5)@(9,9) SiC nanotube (SiCNT) under transverse electric fields are investigated. The band gap of the SiCNT has a decreasing tendency as increasing the intensity of the applied electric field. The mechanism of narrowing in the band gap of the SiCNT is the charge redistribution caused by the electric field. Furthermore, an empirical model for the dependence of the band gap on the electric field is proposed. These results are meaningful for investigations on SiCNTs electronic devices. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.