Dipolar and charged localized excitons in carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We study both experimentally and theoretically the fundamental interplay of exciton localization and polarization in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes. From Stark spectroscopy of individual carbon nanotubes at cryogenic temperatures we identify localized excitons as permanent electric dipoles with dipole moments of up to 1e{\AA}. Moreover, we demonstrate field-effect doping of localized excitons with an additional charge which results in defect-localized trions. Our findings provide not only fundamental insight into the microscopic nature of localized excitons in carbon nanotubes, they also signify their potential for sensing applications and may serve as guidelines for molecular engineering of exciton-localizing quantum dots in other atomically thin semiconductors including transition metal dichalcogenides.