Transport properties of carbon nanotubes with odd-numbered carbon rings

Abstract

We present our results of an accurate and detailed study of the structural and transport properties of the recently proposed Haeckelite carbon nanotubes HCNs using the generalized tight-binding molecular dynamics scheme. The quantum conductance and the current vs voltage I-V curves for the HCNs were calculated using two independent methods: i an embedded form of the surface Green’s function matching method and ii the Bardeen’s transfer Hamiltonian approximation. The I-V characteristics thus obtained are compared with the corresponding ones of single-wall carbon nanotubes SWCNs of the same diameter and length. Our results indicate that, although infinite HCNs were reported to have many conduction channels compared to the SWCNs, contrary to expectations their conductivity under a given bias configuration is comparable to that of the SWCNs.