title: Imaging electron wave functions of quantized energy levels in carbon nanotubes
abstract: Carbon nanotubes provide a unique system for studying one-dimensional quantization phenomena. Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to observe the electronic wave functions that correspond to quantized energy levels in short metallic carbon nanotubes. Discrete electron waves were apparent from periodic oscillations in the differential conductance as a function of the position along the tube axis, with a period that differed from that of the atomic lattice. Wave functions could be observed for several electron states at adjacent discrete energies. The measured wavelengths are in good agreement with the calculated Fermi wavelength for armchair nanotubes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics and DIMES, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, Netherlands.
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Venema
authors.initials: JWG
authors.lastname: Wildoer
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tans
authors.initials: HLJT
authors.lastname: Tuinstra
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kouwenhoven
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dekker