Electrostriction in single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is an electrostrictive material. A significant electrostriction strain was found in semi-conductor SWCNT as a consequence of its carbon atoms’ vibration under an applied electric field. The use of the conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with lock-in amplifier operating at the second harmonic (2ω), facilitated the determination of the experimental electrostriction coefficient (Ce) of about 2 nm2 V−2 which is not negligible compared to other dielectric materials like polymers, quartz or inorganic. Regarding percentage, this electrostriction strain represents 2.6% under an applied electric field of 160 V μm−1. This finding may the nanometer size, the stiffness and the intrinsic characteristics of the SWCNTs would enable them as a potential candidate for nano-electro-mechanical-system (NEMS) technology, nanopositioning or in ultrasound vibrations applications.