Size, Shape, and Low Energy Electronic Structure of Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

A theory of the long-wavelength low-energy electronic structure of graphite-derived nanotubules is presented. The propagating $\pi$ electrons are described by wrapping a massless two dimensional Dirac Hamiltonian onto a curved surface. The effects of the tubule size, shape, and symmetry are included through an effective vector potential which we derive for this model. The rich gap structure for all straight single wall cylindrical tubes is obtained analytically in this theory, and the effects of inhomogeneous shape deformations on nominally metallic armchair tubes are analyzed.