Magnetically operated nanorelay based on two single-walled carbon nanotubes filled with endofullerenes Fe@C20

TL;DR

This paper proposes a magnetic nanorelay using carbon nanotubes filled with magnetic endofullerenes, analyzing its operation and comparing different nanotube configurations for potential room temperature applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel magnetic nanorelay design based on filled nanotubes and evaluates its operational characteristics through theoretical modeling.

Findings

Nanorelay can be activated by magnetic forces causing nanotube bending.

Operational characteristics depend on nanotube type and filling.

Room temperature operation is feasible for certain configurations.

Abstract

Structural and energy characteristics of the smallest magnetic endofullerene Fe@C20 have been calculated using the density functional theory approach. The ground state of Fe@C20 is found to be a septet state, and the magnetic moment of Fe@C20 is estimated to be 8 Bohr magnetons. Characteristics of an (8,8) carbon nanotube with a single Fe@C20 inside are studied in the framework of the semiempirical approach. The scheme of a magnetic nanorelay based on cantilevered nanotubes filled with magnetic endofullerenes is elaborated. The proposed nanorelay is turned on as a result of bending of nanotubes by a magnetic force. Operational characteristics of such a nanorelay based on (8,8) and (21,21) nanotubes fully filled with Fe@C20 are estimated and compared to the ones of a nanorelay made of a (21,21) nanotube fully filled with experimentally observed (Ho3N)@C80 with the magnetic moment of 21 Bohr magnetons. Room temperature operation of (21,21) nanotube based nanorelays is shown.