Effects of axial magnetic field on the electronic and optical properties of boron nitride nanotube

The splitting of band structure and absorption spectrum, for boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) under axial magnetic field, is studied using the tight binding approximation. It is found that the band splitting (ΔE)ΔE) at the ΓΓ point is linearly proportional to the magnetic field (Φ/Φ0)Φ/Φ0). Our results indicate that the splitting rate νiiνii, of the two first bands nearest to the Fermi level, is a linear function of n−2 for all (n,0) zigzag BNNTs. By investigation of the dependence of band structure and absorption spectrum to the magnetic field, we found that absorption splitting is equal to band splitting and the splitting rate of band structure can be used to determine the splitting rate of the absorption spectrum.

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► We study the properties of BNNTs under the axial magnetic field using tight binding approach.
► Band splitting is in approximate proportion to the magnitude of magnetic field.
► The rate splitting of the two first bands in the ΓΓ point is proportion to the n−2 as for all zigzag BNNTs.
► In E<5.3eV all peaks split into two distinct peaks except for the first peak of group (I).
► Splitting for the two first absorption peaks is equal with band splitting in the ΓΓ point.