Aharanov-Bohm effect for the edge states of zigzag carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Two delocalized states of metallic zigzag carbon nanotubes near the Dirac point can be localized by the Aharanov-Bohm magnetic field around 20 Tesla. The dependence of the localization on the length and diameter of the nanotubes shows that the localization-delocalization transition can be observed for 2 nm diameter tube. The mechanism of the localization is explained in terms of the deformation-induced gauge field, which shows a topological nature of the localization. The transition from the delocalized states to the localized states can be observed by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. A similarity between the transition and the spin Hall effect is discussed.