N-doped helical carbon nanotubes: Single helix photoconductivity and photoluminescence properties

The single nanodevice-based ultrathin N-doped helical carbon nanotube (N-doped HCNT) was fabricated for systematical examinations of photoconductivity. A 515 nm focused beam of about 300 pm in diameter was applied for irradiation. The study showed that the N-doped HCNT has high generation of photocarriers and high bimolecular recombination rate. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the N-doped HCNTs were examined systematically. The results indicated that the photoresponse can be improved further by selecting an appropriate wavelength excitation.