Direct observation of the deformation and the band gap change from an individual single-walled carbon nanotube under uniaxial strain.

We have fabricated a new device for applying uniaxial strain to an individual suspended SWNT, and the form and the photoluminescence (PL) of an individual suspended SWNT under stretching are investigated. The processes of deformation and break of a SWNT under stretching are directly observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From the PL measurements, the emission energy shifts due to the band gap change are measured under the elastic strain. The behaviors of the emission shifts can be related to the deformation processes observed by SEM. Moreover, the emission intensity reduction due to the elastic strain of a SWNT is also observed just before breaking.