Transmission-electron-microscopic studies of mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles

The mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles were studied via the observation of mechanical resonance in a transmission electron microscope. The bundles were capacitively actuated using tunable ac signals applied through a custom built specimen holder. Resonant frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 9 MHz were observed in bundles of diameters and lengths ranging from 15 to 70 nm, and from 1 to 10 mum, respectively. An effective bending modulus of E-b=76+/-4 GPa was extracted from the data. Onset of nonlinear frequency response was observed under large actuation amplitudes. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.