Generalized Fowler-Nordheim theory of field emission of carbon nanotubes.

Based on the low-energy band structure of carbon nanotubes (CNs), we develop a generalized Fowler-Nordheim theory of the CN field emission, in which the behavior of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics depends on the electric field and the diameter of the CNs. This formalism reveals the key differences of field emission between conventional bulk metallic emitters and low-dimensional emitters and gives a clear physical understanding of the non-Fowler-Nordheim feature of the I-V characteristics of the CN field emission.