Torsion and stiffening of multi-walled carbon nanotubes – Stergios Papadakis
Date: Tue. February 18th, 2003, 12:30 pm-1:30 pmLocation: Rockefeller 221
I will describe the fabrication and characterization of nanometer-scale electromechanical oscillator devices which use multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the spring elements. Through atomic-force-microscope force-distance measurements we are able to apply torsional strains to the nanotubes and measure their torsional spring constants and effective shear moduli. The data show that the nanotubes are stiffened by repeated flexing. I will also briefly describe progress on various other nanometer-scale systems we are studying.