Controllable reversibility of an sp(2) to sp(3) transition of a single wall nanotube under the manipulation of an AFM tip: A nanoscale electromechanical switch?

A simulation of the deflection of a single wall nanotube under the manipula tion of an atomic force microscope tip revealed the key feature characteriz ing the deformation at relatively small bending angles to be a reversible t ransition from sp(2) to sp(3) bonding configurations in the bending region, leading to a 2 orders of magnitude reduction in conductance consistent wit h our most recent experimental observation. A local analysis elucidating th e underlying physics of the findings is also discussed.