Tiny columns of
carbon, only nanometers in diameter, emit the electrons that make this
bulb glow. New techniques for growing the nanotubes on unusual surfaces,
such as the cathode wire running down the center of the bulb, may lead
to improved vacuum gauges and magnetic field sensors, among other devices.
Reported by:
Bonard,
et al., Applied Physics Letters, 30 April, 2001.
Associated
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