Using a pump–probe method with a 150 fs laser at the wavelength of 1.55 μm, we have experimentally demonstrated that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) have an exciton decay time of less than 1 ps and a high third-order polarizability, which is reasonably interpreted as due to their azimuthal symmetry. These experimental results reveal that a SWNT polymer composite may be a candidate material for high-quality subpicosecond all-optical switches.

1.
Z. X.
Jin
,
X.
Sun
,
G. Q.
Xu
,
S. H.
Goh
, and
W.
Ji
,
Chem. Phys. Lett.
318
,
505
(
2000
).
2.
J. E.
Riggs
,
D. B.
Walker
,
D. L.
Carroll
, and
Y. P.
Su
,
J. Phys. Chem. B
104
,
7071
(
2000
).
3.
L.
Vivien
,
D.
Riehl
,
E.
Anglaret
, and
F.
Hache
,
IEEE J. Quantum Electron.
36
,
680
(
2000
).
4.
R. H.
Xie
and
J.
Jiang
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
71
,
1029
(
1997
).
5.
J.
Jiang
,
J. M.
Dong
, and
D. Y.
Xing
,
Phys. Rev. B
59
,
9838
(
1999
).
6.
Y.
Wang
and
L. T.
Cheng
,
J. Phys. Chem.
96
,
1530
(
1992
).
7.
Z. H.
Kafafi
,
F. J.
Bartoli
,
J. R.
Lindle
, and
R. G.
Pong
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
68
,
2705
(
1992
);
Z. H.
Kafafi
,
F. J.
Bartoli
,
J. R.
Lindle
, and
R. G.
Pong
,
Chem. Phys. Lett.
188
,
492
(
1992
).
8.
D.
Neher
,
G. I.
Stegeman
,
F. A.
Tinker
, and
N.
Peyghambarian
,
Opt. Lett.
17
,
1491
(
1992
).
9.
V. A.
Margulis
,
J. Phys.: Condens. Matter
11
,
3065
(
1999
).
10.
J.
Paye
and
D.
Hulin
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
62
,
1326
(
1993
).
11.
S. G.
Lee
,
B. P.
McGinnis
,
R.
Jin
,
J.
Yumoto
,
G.
Khitrova
,
H. M.
Gibbs
,
R.
Binder
,
S. W.
Koch
, and
N.
Peyghambarian
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
64
,
454
(
1994
).
12.
S.
Nakamura
,
K.
Tajima
, and
Y.
Sugimoto
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
65
,
283
(
1994
).
13.
Y.
Nishikawa
,
A.
Tackeuchi
,
S.
Nakamura
,
S.
Muto
, and
N.
Yokoyama
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
66
,
839
(
1995
).
14.
R.
Takahashi
,
Y.
Kawamura
, and
H.
Iwamura
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
68
,
153
(
1996
).
15.
M.
Asobe
,
Opt. Fiber Technol.: Mater., Devices Syst.
3
,
142
(
1997
).
16.
M. J.
Bronikowski
,
P. A.
Willis
,
D. T.
Colbert
,
K. A.
Smith
, and
R. E.
Smally
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
19
,
1800
(
2001
).
17.
A. F.
Bello
,
D. J.
Erskine
, and
H. B.
Radousky
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
67
,
503
(
1996
).
18.
T.
Hertel
and
G.
Moos
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
84
,
5002
(
2000
).
19.
Y. P. Zhao, Y.-C. Chen, N. R. Raravikar, X.-C. Zhang, P. M. Ajayan, L. S. Schadler, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, US Patent (Serial No:10/074,937) filed on 12 Feb. 2002.
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.