Electronic excitation spectrum of metallic carbon nanotubes

We have studied the discrete electronic spectrum of closed metallic nanotube quantum dots. At low temperatures, the stability diagrams show a very regular fourfold pattern that allows for the determination of the electron addition and excitation energies. The measured nanotube spectra are in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions based on the nanotube band structure. Our results permit the complete identification of the electron quantum states in nanotube quantum dots.