Transition metal/carbon nanotube hybrid structures

The unique geometry of carbon nanotubes offers an ideal template for designing one-dimensional metal/nanotube hybrid structures. Through ab initio calculations we found that transition-metal/nanotube hybrid structures exhibit very interesting physical properties. The hybrid structures can have drastically different conduction properties from those of the pristine tubes and considerable magnetic moments. In some instances perfect spin polarization is achieved. The results point to a new and promising approach that uses such hybrid structures as devices for spin-polarized transport, which is expected to provide immense applications in the emerging field of spintronics.