Abstract Submitted to the NANOTUBE'02 Workshop:

We are embarking on a set of experiments to measure the dynamical conductivity of an individual SWNT at microwave (GHz) frequencies. The contact can be either ohmic, or capacitive. The goal is to measure the conductivity as a function of frequency for frequencies above and below the scattering frequency. A further goal is the direct electrical excitation of the 1d plasmon, which is the low-energy excitation of a Luttinger liquid, as well as measuring the plasmon wave velocity and damping. We will measure 1d plasmons by applying the same experimental technique we recently developed to measure 2d plasmons at microwave frequencies (Burke, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett., 76 (6), 745-747 (2000), also Burke, et al, unpublished manuscript, available at http://nano.ece.uci.edu). The technique consists of measuring resonant behavior in the frequency dependent microwave impedance (real and imaginary parts) which corresponds to standing waves of the 1d plasmon in the finite length tube. The experiments will have to overcome several technical challenges: 1) High quality SWNTs must be grown with lengths of order 10-100 microns. 2) These must be coupled to a well-quantified microwave measurements setup. 3) The microwave electronics must be able to measure high-impedance devices.