Impurity-induced carrier scattering is expected to be dependent on the chirality of nanotubes and the nature of scattering potentials induced by impurities. Such scattering is still poorly understood because it has been impossible to measure the impact of impurities on resistance of carbon nanotubes with known chirality.
We have measured the scattering strength of charged impurities on semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes with known chirality. The resistivity of nanotubes is measured as a function of the density of adsorbed potassium atoms, enabling the determination of the resistance added by an individual potassium atom. Holes are scattered 26 times more efficiently than electrons by an adsorbed potassium atom. The determined scattering strength is used to reveal the spatial extent and depth of the scattering potential for potassium, a model Coulomb adsorbate, paving way for rational design of nanotube-based sensors.