title: Defect-related hysteresis in nanotube-based nano-electromechanical systems.
abstract: The electronic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) depend on the positions of their walls with respect to neighboring shells. This fact can enable several applications of MWCNTs as nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). In this article, we report the findings of a first-principles study on the stability and dynamics of point defects in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) and their role in the response of the host systems under inter-tube displacement. Key defect-related effects, namely, sudden energy changes and hysteresis, are identified, and their relevance to a host of MWCNT-based NEMS is highlighted. The results also demonstrate the dependence of these effects on defect clustering and chirality of DWCNT shells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, GR-15780 Athens, Greece. leont@mail.ntua.gr.
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsetseris
authors.forename: Sokrates T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Pantelides