Change of the electronic conductivity of graphene nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes caused by a local deformation

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), many efforts have been made to apply these carbon nanomaterials to electronic devices and sensors. Strain sensitivity of CNTs and GNRs is one of their unique electronic properties. However, the effect of complex strain field such as buckling deformation on the electronic state of CNTs remains to be unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the electronic state and the local geometrical structure of deformed CNTs and GNRs. Comparing the electronic state of CNTs and that of GNRs under deformation, we found that the electronic state can be predicted by analyzing the geometric structure of deformed CNTs or GNRs.