title: Identifying individual single-walled and double-walled carbon nanotubes by atomic force microscopy.
abstract: We show that the number of concentric graphene cylinders forming a carbon nanotube can be found by squeezing the tube between an atomic force microscope tip and a silicon substrate. The compressed height of a single-walled nanotube (double-walled nanotube) is approximately two (four) times the interlayer spacing of graphite. Measured compression forces are consistent with the predicted bending modulus of graphene and provide a mechanical signature for identifying individual single-walled and double-walled nanotubes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97330, USA.
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: DeBorde
authors.forename: J Caleb
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Joiner
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Leyden
authors.forename: Ethan D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Minot