Photostability of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes/Polymer Core–Shell Hybrids as Telecom Wavelength Emitters

Abstract

In the spirit of the core-shell approach that made it possible to greatly enhance the photostability of semiconductor nanoparticles, we study the emission stability of single carbon nanotubes emitting at telecommunication wavelengths protected by a double shell of polymer. Two types of structures with different polymer layers have been studied at cryogenic temperatures, whereas nanotubes wrapped with poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) and embedded in a bulk polystyrene matrix were used as a reference. A Mandel parameter description applied to the emission intensity and an Allan deviation analysis of the spectral diffusion show quantitatively that the polymer shells stabilize the emission of single carbon nanotubes by more than one order of magnitude in comparison with micelle wrapped nanotubes deposited on a SiO2 surface. This represent an additional step towards the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes as quantum emitters at telecommunication wavelengths.