The one-dimensional structure of carbon nanotubes leads to quantum confinement of the wave vectors for the electronic states, thus making the double resonance Raman process selective, not only of the magnitude, but also of the direction of the phonon wave vectors. This additional selectivity allows us to reconstruct the phonon dispersion relations of 2D graphite, by probing individual single wall carbon nanotubes of different chiralities by resonance Raman spectroscopy, and using different laser excitation energies. In particular, we are able to measure the anisotropy, or the trigonal warping effect, in the phonon dispersion relations around the hexagonal corner of the Brillouin zone of graphite.

• Received 14 August 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.027403