arXiv subjects

Thierry Michel

Publications and source records attributed to Thierry Michel.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Dynamic instability of individual carbon nanotube growth revealed by in situ homodyne polarization microscopy

Understanding the kinetic selectivity of carbon nanotube growth at the scale of individual nanotubes is essential for the development of high chiral selectivity growth methods. Here we demonstrate that homodyne polarization microscopy can be used for high-throughput imaging of long individual carbon nanotubes under real growth conditions (at ambient pressure, on a substrate), and with sub-second time resolution. Our in situ observations on hundreds of individual nanotubes reveal that about half of them grow at a constant rate all along their lifetime while the other half exhibits stochastic changes in growth rates, and switches between growth, pause and shrinkage. Statistical analysis shows that the growth rate of a given nanotube essentially varies between two values, with similar average ratio (~1.7) regardless of whether the rate change is accompanied by a change in chirality. These switches indicate that the nanotube edge or the catalyst nanoparticle fluctuates between different configurations during growth.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

A comprehensive model of the optical spectra of carbon nanotubes on substrate by polarized microscopy

Polarized optical microscopy and spectroscopy are progressively becoming key methods for the high-throughput characterization of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other one-dimensional nanostructures, on substrate and in devices. The optical response of CNTs on substrate in cross polarization experiments is usually limited by the polarization conservation of the optical elements in the experimental setup. We developed a theoretical model taking into account the depolarization by the setup and the optical response of the substrate. We show that proper modelization of the experimental data requires to take into account both non-coherent and coherent light depolarization by the optical elements. We also show how the nanotube signal can be decoupled from the complex reflection factor of the anti-reflection substrate which is commonly used to enhance the optical contrast. Finally, we describe an experimental protocol to extract the depolarization parameters and the complex nanotube susceptibility, and how it can improve the chirality assignment of individual carbon nanotubes in complex cases.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2008

Raman spectra of misoriented bilayer graphene

We compare the main feature of the measured Raman scattering spectra from single layer graphene with a bilayer in which the two layers are arbitrarily misoriented. The profiles of the 2D bands are very similar having only one component, contrary to the four found for commensurate Bernal bilayers. These results agree with recent theoretical calculations and point to the similarity of the electronic structures of single layer graphene and misoriented bilayer graphene. Another new aspect is that the dependance of the 2D frequency on the laser excitation energy is different in these two latter systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2005

Raman-modes of index-identified free-standing single-walled carbon nanotubes

Using electron diffraction on free-standing single-walled carbon nanotubes we have determined the structural indices (n,m) of tubes in the diameter range from 1.4 to 3nm. On the same free-standing tubes we have recorded Raman spectra of the tangential modes and the radial breathing mode. For the smaller diameters (1.4-1.7nm) these measurements confirm previously established radial breathing mode frequency versus diameter relations, and would be consistent with the theoretically predicted proportionality to the inverse diameter. However, for extending the relation to larger diameters, either a yet unexplained environmental constant has to be assumed, or the linear relation has to be abandoned.

cond-mat.other↗