A defect whose electron transmission probability could be controlled by electric fields was intentionally created on a metallic single-walled carbon nanotube using a voltage pulse from a tip of an atomic force microscope. The localized characteristics of the created defect were explored via local electrical property measurements using an atomic force microscope. The result demonstrated that the conductance of a metallic single-walled carbon nanotube could be modulated by electric fields, such as from a back gate, with the introduction of a local defect.

Electrically Tunable Defects in Metallic Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. J.Y.Park: Applied Physics Letters, 2007, 90[2], 023112