Degradation of Thermal Emission from Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Stimulated by Nanosecond Pulsed Laser

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) have shown promise as blackbody sources for IR scene projection when heated by laser pulses. Although VACNTs are fairly robust, degradation is seen after repetitive laser excitations. The degradation starts as oxidation, eventually leading to catastrophic morphological changes.