title: Resolving strain in carbon nanotubes at the atomic level.
abstract: Details of how atomic structure responds to strain are essential for building a deeper picture of mechanics in nanomaterials. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence of atomic displacements associated with shear strain in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by direct imaging using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. The atomic structure of a zig-zag SWNT is resolved with unprecedented accuracy and the strain induced by bending is mapped in two dimensions. We show the existence of a dominant non-uniform shear strain that varies along the SWNT axis. The direction of shear is opposite to what would be expected from a simple force applied perpendicular to the axis to produce the bending. This highlights the complex atomistic strain behaviour of beam-bending mechanics in highly anisotropic SWNTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK. Jamie.warner@materials.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jamie H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Neil P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Angus I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Kirkland
authors.forename: G Andrew D
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Briggs