Plastic Deformations in Mechanically Strained Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that single-walled carbon nanotubes can endure significant elongation with strain-induced changes in electronic properties, highlighting the onset of plastic deformation and defect formation.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of plastic deformation and electronic property changes in SWNTs under mechanical strain, supported by AFM manipulation and microscopy techniques.

Findings

SWNTs can sustain up to 30% elongation without breaking

Strain increases intra-tube electronic scattering above 5-10% strain

Experimental results align with theoretical predictions of defect formation

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.