Ultrafast nano-oscillators based on interlayer-bridged carbon nanoscrolls

TL;DR

This paper presents a new method for creating ultrafast nano-oscillators using carbon nanoscrolls, achieving oscillation frequencies exceeding 100 GHz, with potential applications in nano-scale energy devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fabrication approach for CNS-based nano-oscillators and demonstrates their ultrafast oscillation capabilities driven by external electric fields.

Findings

Oscillation frequencies reach over 100 GHz.

Covalent bridging reduces energy dissipation.

Oscillators can be externally driven by AC electric fields.

Abstract

We demonstrate a viable approach to fabricating ultrafast axial nano-oscillators based on carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs) using molecular dynamics simulations. Initiated by a single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT), a monolayer graphene can continuously scroll into a CNS with the CNT housed inside. The CNT inside the CNS can oscillate along axial direction at a natural frequency of 10s gigahertz (GHz). We demonstrate an effective strategy to reduce the dissipation of the CNS-based nano-oscillator by covalently bridging the carbon layers in the CNS. We further demonstrate that, such a CNS-based nano-oscillator can be excited and driven by an external AC electric field, and oscillate at more than 100 GHz. The CNS-based nano-oscillators not only offer a feasible pathway toward ultrafast nano-devices, but also hold promise to enable nano-scale energy transduction, harnessing and storage (e.g., from electric to mechanical).