Plastic deformations in mechanically strained single-walled carbon nanotubes

Dolores Bozovic,Hongkun Park,Charles M Lieber,Jason H Hafner,M Tinkham,M Bockrath

doi:10.1103/physrevb.67.033407

Abstract

AFM manipulation was used to controllably stretch individual metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We have found that SWNTs can sustain elongations as great as 30% without breaking. Scanned gate microscopy and transport measurements were used to probe the effects of the mechanical strain on the SWNT electronic properties, which revealed a strain-induced increase in intra-tube electronic scattering above a threshold strain of ~5-10%. These findings are consistent with theoretical calculations predicting the onset of plastic deformation and defect formation in carbon nanotubes.

Highlights

Scanned gate microscopy and transport measurements were used to probe the effects of the mechanical strain on the SWNT electronic properties, which revealed a strain-induced increase in intra-tube electronic scattering above a threshold strain of ϳ5–10 %
These findings are consistent with theoretical calculations predicting the onset of plastic deformation and defect formation in carbon nanotubes
These defects have been directly revealed in atomicresolution scanning tunneling microscope imaging experiments,6 studied using electron transport measurements and scanned gate microscopy,9 and shown to act as resonant scattering centers

Summary

Introduction

Hongkun Park Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Tombler and co-workers used an atomic force microscope tip to produce small-angle reversible bending and elongation in nanotubes, while measuring the nanotube conduction.11,12 A number of groups performed calculations to theoretically study the effects of large distortions and mechanical strain, the formation of new defects in nanotubes,13–19 and their effects on transport properties.20–22

Results

Conclusion