Electrodynamics of carbon nanotubes: Dynamic conductivity, impedance boundary conditions, and surface wave propagation

Effective boundary conditions, in the form of two-sided impedance boundary conditions, are formulated for the linear electrodynamics of single- and mu ltishell carbon nantoubes (CN's). The impedance is derived using the dynami c conductivity of CN's, which is obtained for different CN's (zigzag, armch air, and chiral) in the frame of the semiclassical as well as quantum-mecha nical treatments. Propagation of surface waves in CN's is considered. The p hase Velocities and the slow-wave coefficients of surface waves are explore d for a wide frequency range, from the microwave to the ultraviolet regimes . Relaxation is shown to qualitatively change the dispersion characteristic s in the low-frequency limit, thereby rendering the existence of weakly ret arded plasmons impossible. A dispersionless propagation regime is shown pos sible for the surface waves in the infrared regime. Attenuation and retarda tion in metallic and semiconductor CN's are compared. [S0763-1829(99)16247- 7].