Nanomachining of Carbon Nanotubes to Carbon Nanoribbons

Abstract

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have revolutionized number of scientific fields such as electronics, composites and biomedical engineering. However, our current ability to manipulate nanotube geometry is limited to only in the in-situ growth reactors. Expanding the knowledge of manipulating materials at nanoscale, such as the CNTs with alternate techniques, will significantly increase their potential for applications such as sensors and as well as bring new physical phenomena. Alternatively, graphene has its numerous success in last nineteen years except being a serious candidate for field effect applications. Nanomachining carbon nanotubes, which may produce altering structural and thus electronic properties, has not been well developed especially in the context of chemical free methods. We are exploiting ultrafast laser matter interactions at Kansas State University to nanomachining CNTs to produce carbon nanoribbons (CNRs) of sub-20 nanometer width and understand their properties. Laser micromachining has numerous applications for current and future technology developments, including those in aerospace and biomedical applications. Such a method to turn CNTs to CNRs will have future electronic and photonic applications.This work is supported by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), funding from Kansas State University and David and Lynda Dawson Carl and Mary Ice Keystone Research funding.