Phonon-assisted tunnelling in electrical conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes and networks ones

Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), measured in the low temperatures by Tang et al. [Science 292 (2001) 2462] and transparent SWCNT networks presented by Jaiswal et al. [J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19 (2007) 446006], are reinterpreted in the framework of phonon-assisted tunnelling theory as a free charge carriers generation mechanism in the strong electrical field. The good fit of the temperature-dependent I–V data in low temperature region (i.e., T<25 K) has been achieved using the phonons of energy <1 meV.