Carbon nanotube structures: Y-junctions and nanorings

Abstract

The possibility of coupling two Y-junctions of carbon nanotubes, forming a type of nanotube ring is addressed here. Recent experimental evidences of growing carbon nanotube structures forming basically Y-kind junctions give support to this theoretical proposition. A single-band tight-binding Hamiltonian is considered and local electronic properties are investigated via the Green function formalism following renormalization techniques. Modulation on the transport properties of those nanostructured systems may be induced by considering different kind of junctions and different symmetries. Quantum interference phenomena are proven to reduce partial or completely the conductance of such nanoring structures.