Interferometrically-controlled electrical currents in carbon nanotubes coated by platinum nanoparticles

•Vectorial two-wave interaction was employed to control photoconductivity.•Dense platinum decoration in muti-wall carbon nanotubes was obtained.•Spatially variable conductivity able to switch electrical signals was proposed.

Described herein is a spatially selective modification in the conductive effects exhibited by multi-wall carbon nanotubes decorated with platinum nanoparticles. The samples were prepared by a chemical vapor deposition processing route. The changes in the conductivity of the samples in thin film form were achieved and explored by a fringe irradiance pattern impinging on the nanohybrid materials. A vectorial two-wave mixing configuration was performed for varying the electrical behavior of the irradiated film. A noticeable reversible modification in the conductivity of the samples was induced by nanosecond pulses at a 532 nm wavelength in our experiments. The rotation of the angle between the planes of polarization of the incident waves allowed us to switch the electrical currents in a circuit with one input and two outputs. The current-conduction terminals were specifically monitored for cases where the incident beams were displaying parallel or mutually orthogonal polarizations. It was considered that functionalization and metallic decoration processes present opposite responsibilities for the evolution of the electrical phenomena in carbon nanotubes. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were undertaken and a strong dependence on electrical frequency that corresponds to an inductive action in the sample was observed. It was highlighted that the manipulation of the vectorial nature of light can be a useful tool for tuning the electrical response in nanosystems. Potential applications for developing photoconductive and filtering functions can be contemplated.