We study the optical properties of carbon nanotubes within the single-band tight-binding approximation.The great number of one-dimensional-like subbands of the nanotubes lead to typical van Hove singularities on the local density of states. When a tube is under the influence of a laser beam, optical transitions are allowed between Van Hove singularities and they can be observed experimentally in absorption spectra. External magnetic and electric fields modify the energy spectrum of carbon nanotubes inducing changes on the optical phenomena at low frequencies. Results for the inter-band absorption coefficient are shown for nanotubes under an additional external electrostatic potential for parallel light polarization. This is an important problem to understand since low energy laser beams are being used to identify the chirality and diameter of the tubes and their electronic character.

Nanotubes have been proved as promising candidates for many technological applications in the nanoscale word and different physical properties have been studied and measured along the few recent years. Here we investigate the role played by external magnetic and electric fields on the electronic properties of toroidal and cylindrical straight carbon nanotubes. A single-p band tight-binding Hamiltonian is used and two types of model-calculations are adopted: real-space renormalization techniques, based on Green function formalism, and straight diagonalization calculation. Both electric and magnetic fields may be properly applied, in different configurations, to modify the energy spectra and transport properties, providing metal-insulator transitions for particular tube geometries.