Guo Wanlin, Guo Yufeng
Institute of Nano Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China.
Phys Rev Lett. 2003 Sep 12;91(11):115501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.115501. Epub 2003 Sep 9.
An exceptionally large axial electrostrictive deformation is demonstrated in single walled carbon nanotubes using Hartree-Fock and density functional quantum mechanics simulations. Armchair and zigzag open-ended tubes and capped tubes are studied and in all of them the external electric field induced axial strains can be greater than 10% for a field strength within 1 V/A. The corresponding volumetric and gravimetric work capacities are predicted to be three and six orders higher than those of the best known ferroelectric, electrostrictive, magnetostrictive materials and elastomers, respectively.