We provide spectroscopic evidence for hot-phonon generation in biased single-walled carbon nanotubes by measuring simultaneously the Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman lines of the $G$ mode and of the radial-breathing mode as a function of current bias. Using Bose-Einstein statistics we can directly calculate the phonon temperature from the intensity ratio of the anti-Stokes to Stokes lines. Upon nanotube biasing we observe (i) an increase of the $G$ mode phonon temperature in contrast to the radial-breathing mode phonons that remain thermalized at room temperature, and (ii) no softening of the $G$ mode. Based on these observations, we exclude current-induced thermal heating of the nanotube.

• Received 4 June 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.127401