Abstract: Various asymmetric detecting devices based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are studied. The asymmetry is understood as inhomogeneous properties along the conducting channel. In the first type of devices, an inhomogeneous morphology of the CNT grid is used. In the second type of devices, metals with highly varying work functions are used as the contact material. The relation between the sensitivity and detector configuration is analyzed. Based on the data obtained, approaches to the development of an efficient detector of terahertz radiation, based on carbon nanotubes are proposed.

Abstract: Van Hove singularities (VHSs) are a hallmark of reduced dimensionality, leading to a divergent density of states in one and two dimensions and predictions of new electronic properties when the Fermi energy is close to these divergences. In carbon nanotubes, VHSs mark the onset of new subbands. They are elusive in standard electronic transport characterization measurements because they do not typically appear as notable features and therefore their effect on the nanotube conductance is largely unexplored. Here we report conductance measurements of carbon nanotubes where VHSs are clearly revealed by interference patterns of the electronic wave functions, showing both a sharp increase of quantum capacitance, and a sharp reduction of energy level spacing, consistent with an upsurge of density of states. At VHSs, we also measure an anomalous increase of conductance below a temperature of about 30 K. We argue that this transport feature is consistent with the formation of Cooper pairs in the nanotube.

Abstract: Demand for efficient terahertz radiation detectors resulted in intensive study of the carbon nanostructures as possible solution for that problem. In this work we investigate the response to sub-terahertz radiation of detectors with sensor elements based on CVD graphene as well as its derivatives – carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The devices are made in configuration of field effect transistors (FET) with asymmetric source and drain (vanadium and gold) contacts and operate as lateral Schottky diodes. We show that at 300K semiconducting CNTs show better performance up to 300GHz with responsivity up to 100V/W, while quasi-metallic CNTs are shown to operate up to 2.5THz. At 300 K graphene detector exhibit the room-temperature responsivity from R = 15 V/W at f = 129 GHz to R = 3 V/W at f = 450 GHz. We find that at low temperatures (77K) the graphene lateral Schottky diodes responsivity rises with the increasing frequency of the incident sub-THz radiation. We interpret this result as a manifestation of a plasmonic effect in the devices with the relatively long plasmonic wavelengths. The obtained data allows for determination of the most promising directions of development of the technology of nanocarbon structures for the detection of THz radiation.