Electron emission from carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes, nanometer-diameter tubes made of carbon atoms, have garnered significant attention from researchers over the past 15 years due to their outstanding properties such as excellent electronic transport characteristics and mechanical strength. Because of their ability to carry extremely high current densities, their high aspect ratio, and small tip radius that enhances an external electric field greatly, one particularly promising area of interest has been the usage of nanotubes as electron sources. In this article we will try to provide an overview of the subject from various experimental and theoretical angles.