Electrostatic deflections of cantilevered metallic carbon nanotubes via charge-dipole model

TL;DR

This paper models how electrostatic fields cause deformations in cantilevered metallic carbon nanotubes, providing insights for nanoelectromechanical device design.

Contribution

It introduces a charge-dipole interaction model combined with an empirical potential to analyze electrostatic deflections of nanotubes.

Findings

Electrostatic deflections depend on field strength, direction, and tube geometry.

Single and double-walled nanotubes exhibit different deflection behaviors.

Results inform design of nanoelectromechanical systems.

Abstract

We compute electrostatic fields induced deformations of cantilevered finite-length metallic carbon nanotubes, using an energy minimization method based on a charge-dipole moment interaction potential combined with an empirical many-body potential. The influence of field strength, field direction and tube geometry on the electrostatic deflection is investigated for both single and double walled tubes. These results could apply to nanoelectromechanical devices based on cantilevered carbon nanotubes.