Quantum capacitance

About: Quantum capacitance is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 954 publications have been published within this topic receiving 24165 citations.

Capacitance of carbon-based electrical double-layer capacitors

Abstract: Experimental electrical double-layer capacitances of porous carbon electrodes fall below ideal values, thus limiting the practical energy densities of carbon-based electrical double-layer capacitors. Here we investigate the origin of this behaviour by measuring the electrical double-layer capacitance in one to five-layer graphene. We find that the capacitances are suppressed near neutrality, and are anomalously enhanced for thicknesses below a few layers. We attribute the first effect to quantum capacitance effects near the point of zero charge, and the second to correlations between electrons in the graphene sheet and ions in the electrolyte. The large capacitance values imply gravimetric energy storage densities in the single-layer graphene limit that are comparable to those of batteries. We anticipate that these results shed light on developing new theoretical models in understanding the electrical double-layer capacitance of carbon electrodes, and on opening up new strategies for improving the energy density of carbon-based capacitors.

An RF circuit model for carbon nanotubes

Abstract: We develop an RF circuit model for single walled carbon nanotubes for both dc and capacitively contacted geometries. By modeling the nanotube as a nanotransmission line with distributed kinetic and magnetic inductance as well as distributed quantum and electrostatic capacitance, we calculate the complex, frequency dependent impedance for a variety of measurement geometries. Exciting voltage waves on the nanotransmission line is equivalent to directly exciting the yet-to-be observed one dimensional plasmons, the low energy excitation of a Luttinger liquid.

Quantitative theory of nanowire and nanotube antenna performance

Abstract: We present quantitative predictions of the performance of nanotubes and nanowires as antennas, including the radiation resistance, the input reactance and resistance, and antenna efficiency, as a function of frequency and nanotube length. Particular attention is paid to the quantum capacitance and kinetic inductance. We develop models for both far-field antenna patterns as well as near-field antenna-to-antenna coupling. In so doing, we also develop a circuit model for a transmission line made of two parallel nanotubes, which has applications for nanointerconnect technology. Finally, we derive an analog of Hallen's integral equation appropriate for single-walled carbon nanotube antennas

Performance Comparison Between p-i-n Tunneling Transistors and Conventional MOSFETs

Abstract: In this paper, we present a detailed performance comparison between conventional n-i-n MOSFET transistors and tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) based on the p-i-n geometry, using semiconducting carbon nanotubes as the model channel material. Quantum-transport simulations are performed using the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism considering realistic phonon-scattering and band-to-band tunneling mechanisms. Simulations show that TFETs have a smaller quantum capacitance at most gate biases. Despite lower on-current, they can switch faster in a range of on/off-current ratios. Switching energy for TFETs is observed to be fundamentally smaller than that for MOSFETs, leading to lower dynamic power dissipation. Furthermore, the beneficial features of TFETs are retained with different bandgap materials. These reasons suggest that the p-i-n TFET is well suited for low-power applications.

Nitrogen doping of graphene and its effect on quantum capacitance, and a new insight on the enhanced capacitance of N-doped carbon

Abstract: Many researchers have used nitrogen (N) as a dopant and/or N-containing functional groups to enhance the capacitance of carbon electrodes of electrical double layer (EDL) capacitors. However, the physical mechanism(s) giving rise to the interfacial capacitance of the N-containing carbon electrodes is not well understood. Here, we show that the area-normalized capacitance of lightly N-doped activated graphene with similar porous structure increased from 6 μF cm−2 to 22 μF cm−2 with 0 at%, and 2.3 at% N-doping, respectively. The quantum capacitance of pristine single layer graphene and various N-doped graphene was measured and a trend of upwards shifts of the Dirac Point with increasing N concentration was observed. The increase in bulk capacitance with increasing N concentration, and the increase of the quantum capacitance in the N-doped monolayer graphene versus pristine monolayer graphene suggests that the increase in the EDL type of capacitance of many, if not all, N-doped carbon electrodes studied to date, is primarily due to the modification of the electronic structure of the graphene by the N dopant. It was further found that the quantum capacitance is closely related to the N dopant concentration and N-doping provides an effective way to increase the density of the states of monolayer graphene.