Enhancing Coherence Length in Tailored Chiral Hybrid Polymer-Wrapped Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Superstructures

Quantum interference governs the transport behavior of low-dimensional conductors, where the phase coherence of scattered electrons gives rise to phenomena such as weak localization (WL) and weak anti-localization (WAL). Understanding how molecular environments influence these effects is crucial for advancing spin-dependent coherent transport at the nanoscale. Here, we design a hybrid chiral polymer and metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (m-SWNT) material utilizing a polymer that single-chain wraps the m-SWNT surface with a fixed helical pitch. Magnetotransport measurements present a distinct difference between the bare achiral m-SWNTs and the chiral polymer-wrapped m-SWNTs; these experiments demonstrate a fivefold enhancement in coherence length through coupling chirality to the m-SWNT surface. Moreover, bare m-SWNT samples display a WL-like feature, characterized by a narrow conductance dip around zero magnetic field, which is consistent with coherent backscattering in the absence of strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In the chiral hybrid material, the magnetoconductance evolves into a WAL profile, indicating the emergence of SOC that derives from single-handed polymer wrapping of the nanotube surface. These results demonstrate that molecular chirality can modulate quantum interference and spin-orbit interactions in carbon-based nanostructures, offering new pathways to control spin transport through molecular and nanoscale design.