Charge and Energy Transfer Dynamics in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Ensembles

Abstract

A study on the dynamics and nature of the processes leading to the redistribution of energy and charge after photoexcitation of single-wall carbon nanotubes is presented. Ultrafast as well as continuous wave spectroscopies are used to probe the coupling of charge carriers to vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom. Advances in the preparation of high quality nearly monodisperse samples allows for reduction of ambiguities and for proper characterization of spectral features. Additionally, nanotubes are found to present a model system for exploring the transition from molecular to bulk like behavior in aromatic systems. The results of this dissertation are relevant to the interpretation of the microscopic mechanisms involved in the relaxation of charge carriers in one dimension and open up new opportunities for the application of carbon nanotubes in optics and electronics.