Plasmon excitation and electron emission of a carbon nanotube under a linearly polarized laser: A real-time first-principles study

We study the properties of electron excitation and emission of a finite carbon nanotube (CNT) under a linearly polarized femtosecond laser using real-time time-dependent density-functional theory. We find a plasmon resonance in the near-infrared region of the optical absorption spectrum that is highly sensitive to the laser polarization direction. The laser polarization direction dependence of the plasmon excitation obtained in the present study is consistent with the properties of polarized optical absorption observed in experiments. In electron emission that occurs subsequent to electronic excitation, the yield of emitted electrons also shows a laser polarization direction dependence, and the kinetic energy spectrum of the emitted electrons is broadened in the high-energy regime due to the electron acceleration caused by plasmon-induced electric-field enhancement. The findings of the present study are of crucial importance for understanding the laser-CNT interaction, which is a prerequisite for applications of CNTs in electron emitters, nanodevices, and optoelectronic components and sensors.