Coherent electron emission from carbon nanotubes: asymmetric young's interference fringes

We have calculated the Young's interference of two electron beams that are asymmetrical about the emission current and/or emission area and compared them with the experimental results of field emission patterns from multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Most of the fringes observed from the clean surface were similar to those produced with the symmetric slit system, which corresponds to the fact that asymmetry in intensity does not change the fringe shape. In addition, no interference fringes of the two asymmetrical beams about the area were detected. Molecular chemisorption enhanced the emission current at an emission site, but the electron waves were incoherent to the others. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.