Polarization-selective alignment of a carbon nanotube film by using femtosecond laser ablation

We report on a considerable alignment of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in randomly oriented bundles, by using a simple drop-and-dry method and irradiation with high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses. A remarkable third-harmonic generation was observed after irradiation with the laser pulses, whereas a narrow-band white-light continuum was generated in the as-prepared films. This observation, combined with scanning electron microscopy images, confirmed the high degree of alignment of the SWCNTs. In contrast to the pulsed irradiation of carbon soot, the powerdependent laser irradiation of a highly-purified SWCNT film show polarization-dependent ablation of individual nanotubes caused by polarization-dependent absorption. Raman spectroscopy results confirmed the presence of fractured nanotubes caused by the ablation processes. Polarizationresolved absorption spectroscopy results revealed that the aligned SWCNT film had potential usage in optical polarizers.