Charge transport through carbon nanotubes interacting with light

This paper focuses on photoconductivity and electroluminescence studies on individual single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that are incorporated into nanoscale electrical devices. It describes how the spatial dependence of these signals has been utilized to gain valuable information about the local electronic structure and the charge transport properties of the nanotubes. Moreover, we present a summary of available experimental data supporting theoretical predictions, that excitonic effects dominate the optical absorption and emission of semiconducting SWCNTs. Finally, an outline of the emerging field of SWCNT-based photovoltaic devices is given, followed by an outlook into the future perspective of carbon nanotube optoelectronics.