Low-temperature mean-free path of phonons in carbon nanotubes

The low-temperature mean-free path of phonon modes in single-wall carbon nanotubes is calculated within the relaxation time scheme using analytic expressions for the phonon dispersion relations and the specific heat capacity. We resolve the discrepancy presented by Yu et al. [Nanoletters, 5, 1842] between the length of the nanotube and their estimated mean-free path. This is explained to arise from the kinks and bends present in their sample. An analysis of our calculated radius shows that Yu et al. have studied a (9,9) single-wall nanotube