Nanoelectromechanical systems based on multi-walled nanotubes: nanothermometer, nanorelay and nanoactuator

TL;DR

This paper introduces three innovative nanoelectromechanical systems based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes, including a nanothermometer, nanorelay, and nanoactuator, with potential applications in temperature measurement, memory storage, and mechanical transformation.

Contribution

It presents the design and theoretical analysis of three new nanosystems utilizing interwall interactions in multi-walled nanotubes, supported by ab initio and semi-empirical calculations.

Findings

Nanothermometer can measure temperature in regions of several hundred nanometers.

Nanorelay functions as a prototype of a memory cell.

Nanoactuator enables transformation of force into relative rotation of nanotube walls.

Abstract

We report on three new types of nanoelectromechanical systems based on carbon nanotubes: an electromechanical nanothermometer, a nanorelay and a nanomotor. The nanothermometer can be used for accurate temperature measurements in spatially localized regions with dimensions of several hundred nanometers. The nanorelay is a prototype of a memory cell, and the nanoactuator can be used for transformation of the forward force into the relative rotation of the walls. Relative motion of the walls in these nanosystems is defined by the shape of the interwall interaction energy surface. Ab initio and semi-empirical calculations have been used to estimate the operational characteristics and dimensions of these nanosystems.