Nano Lett., 7 (11), 3296 -3299, 2007. 10.1021/nl0714839 S1530-6984(07)01483-X
Web Release Date: October 17, 2007

Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society

Carbon Nanotube Radio

Chris Rutherglen and Peter Burke*

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697

Received June 22, 2007

Revised September 14, 2007

Abstract:

Here we report experimental results for a carbon nanotube (CNT) based amplitude-modulated (AM) demodulator for modulation frequencies up to 100 kHz. Further, the CNT based demodulator was successfully demonstrated in an actual AM radio receiver operating at a carrier frequency of 1 GHz and capable of demodulating high-fidelity audio. The demodulation originates from the nonlinear current-voltage (IDS vs VDS) characteristic of the CNT, which induces rectification of a portion of the applied RF signal. By properly biasing the CNT such that the operating point is centered on the maximum nonlinear portion of the I-V curve, one can maximize the demodulation effect. This represents a simple application of carbon nanotubes and nanotechnology to the wireless realm.

Download the full text: PDF | HTML