Single wall carbon nanotubes are in many respects an outstanding model system. From transport spectroscopy, ferromagnet/superconductor-nanotube hybrid devices, and nano-electromechanics all the way to microwave optomechanics, the work of my group covers by now a wide range of topics. I intend to present a select number of recent highlights.

In particular, by placing a vibrating carbon nanotube next to a superconducting coplanar microwave resonator at cryogenic temperature, one obtains a fundamentally new microwave optomechanical system. Electronic tunneling through well-defined quantum states dominates its behaviour. We have demonstrated a strongly enhanced, gate-controllable optomechanical coupling. With this, the manipulation of a carbon nanotube at the quantum limit of motion enters technological reach.