Electron scattering in a multiwall carbon nanotube bend junction studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

The atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy investigation of a multiwall carbon nanotube bend junction is reported. Atomic resolution images taken at the junction region revealed position-dependent modulation of the electronic density of states, with a period larger than but commensurate to the underlying atomic lattice, attributed to the scattering of electrons on defect sites present in the junction region. We propose an interference model, suitable to interpret the experimentally observed electron density patterns by considering electronic states near the bands crossing points involved in the scattering processes. The model predicts that complex charge density oscillations present near defects are tunable by varying the applied bias potential.