Carbon nanotubes encapsulating superconducting single-crystalline tin nanowires.
Superconducting low dimensional systems are the natural choice for fast and sensitive infrared detection, because of their quantum nature and the low-noise, cryogenic operation environment. On the other hand, monochromatic and coherent electron beams, emitted from superconductors and carbon-based nanostructured materials, respectively, are significant for the development of electron optical systems such as electron microscopes and electron-beam nanofabrication systems. Here we describe for the first time a simple method which yields carbon nanotubes encapsulating single crystalline superconducting tin nanowires by employing the catalytic chemical vapor deposition method over solid tin dioxide. The superconducting tin nanowires, with diameters 15-35 nm, are covered with well-graphitized carbon walls and show, due to their reduced diameters, a critical magnetic field (Hc) more than 30 times higher than the value of bulk metallic tin.
Jankovic
Lubos
L
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Gournis
Dimitrios
D
Trikalitis
Pantelis N
PN
Arfaoui
Imad
I
Cren
Tristan
T
Rudolf
Petra
P
Sage
Marie-Hélène
MH
Palstra
Thomas T M
TT
Kooi
Bart
B
De Hosson
Jeff
J
Karakassides
Michael A
MA
Dimos
Konstantinos
K
Moukarika
Aliki
A
Bakas
Thomas
T
D000327:Adsorption; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014001:Tin / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D014001:Tin