Irregular Modulation of Density-of-States of Nano-Peapods Encapsulating Gd@C82 Metallofullerenes

The modifications of density-of-states (DOS) of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) induced by encapsulation of Gd@C82 metallofullerenes have been studied by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and DFT. We demonstrate that internal orientation of Gd@C82 molecules inside SWCNTs can strongly affect the electronic structure of SWCNTs. The present findings suggest that not only encapsulated molecules but also their molecular orientations can be a tunable parameter with which we can modulate local electronic structures of SWCNTs.