Buckling of GaN nanotubes under uniaxial compression

Molecular dynamics simulations with a Stillinger–Weber potential are used to study the buckling behavior of single crystalline GaN nanotubes under uniaxial compression. The simulation results show the buckling behavior of GaN nanotubes is strongly dependent on the simulation temperature, tube length and strain rate. The buckling stress decreases with the increase of simulation temperature and tube length. The dependence of buckling on the tube length is consistent with the analysis of equivalent continuum structures using Euler buckling theory.