Carbon nanotube optoelectronics

In this tutorial we review the optical and electro-optical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The nature of the excited states of CNTs, their production by photon and electrical excitation and their decay are analyzed. Two types of single CNT light emitters based on ambipolar e-h recombination and a novel unipolar internal impact excitation mechanism are discussed. The reverse process of light detection through photoconduction is also briefly considered. (c) 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.