Vibrational behaviors of multiwalled-carbon-nanotube-based nanomechanical resonators

This letter studies the promising application of carbon nanotubes as nanoresonators. Both single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes are considered and the significant difference in the vibration behavior between them has been identified. The individual tube wall is treated as frame-like structures and simulated by the molecular-structural-mechanics method. The interlayer van der Waals interactions are represented by Lennard-Jones potential and simulated by a nonlinear truss rod model. The results show that fundamental frequencies of double-walled carbon nanotubes are about 10% lower than those of single-walled carbon nanotubes of the same outer diameter. The noncoaxial vibration of double-walled nanotubes begins at the third resonant frequency and does not significantly diminish the value of double-walled nanotubes as high-frequency nanoresonators. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.