Plenary lecture 3: electrodynamics of carbon nanotubes: principles, models, device applications and open questions

A great progress has been achieved during last two decade in the synthesis and fabrication of different nanostructured artificial materials with fascinating mechanical, electronic and optical properties irreducible to properties of bulk media. Accompanied by the impressive parallel development of the characterization techniques and measurement instrumentation, this process necessitates the revision of traditional concepts of physics and chemistry of condensed matter, adapting them to peculiarities of the nanoworld and significantly extending our knowledge of the nature of solids and our capabilities to control their properties. Signalized by the prefix nano- these peculiarities define the development of a variety of new scientific and technological branches, such as nanomechanics, nanoelectronics, nanooptics, nanophotonics, nanosensorics, etc. Following this general trend, a research discipline - nanoelectromagnetics - is introduced as a synthesis of macroscopic electrodynamics and microscopic theory of electronic properties of different nanostructures. The approach is exemplified by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and briefly touches upon other nanocarbon forms. The method of effective boundary conditions is shown to be a universal tool for the study of electrodynamic problems of nanotubes. A set of physical effects, which emerge from the interaction of light with CNTs is described. Linear electrodynamics of nanotubes, nonlinear optical effects in nanotubes and foundations of quantum electrodynamics in nanotubes are discussed. A strong slowing down of surface waves in CNTs is demonstrated and the concept of nanotube as a surface wave nanowaveguide in the infrared and terahertz range is introduced. Theoretical analysis of the scattering pattern and the absorption cross-section of a single-walled finite-length CNT, multi-wall CNT and CNT bundle is presented. Comparison with experimental results is carried out allowing qualitative physical interpretation of low-frequency (far-IR and terahertz) absorption band observed in experiments. Potentiality of CNTs as interconnectors and transmission lines is demonstrated. Antenna properties of single- and multi-walled CNTs and CNT bundles are described and the thermal radiation of isolated CNT is shown to be strongly different from the black-body radiation allowing the thermal antenna concept. Potentiality of CNTs for the IR photothermolysis of living cells is discussed. Strong local field enhancement is predicted to be inherent to metallic CNTs in the near-field zone providing necessary mechanism for far-IR and terahertz near-field optics. The idea of the CNT as monomolecular analog of the free electron laser is proposed and discussed. The formalism of electrodynamics of lossy dispersive media is applied to the problem of spontaneous radiation of an excited atom in the carbon nanotube. Prospective problems of electrodynamics of CNTs are discussed.