We studied the temperature and excitation intensity dependence of exciton luminescence in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using single nanotube photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The linear temperature dependence of the PL linewidth in a single SWNT implies that the exciton dephasing is dominated by the interaction between the exciton and the phonon mode with very low energy under lower-excitation conditions. Saturation of the PL intensity and broadening of the PL linewidth in a single SWNT occur simultaneously with an increase in excitation laser intensity. Our findings show that the rapid exciton-exciton annihilation through multiparticle Auger recombination broadens the homogeneous PL linewidth.

• Received 31 October 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.77.033406