Real-time deformation of carbon nanocoils under axial loading

Tensile tests were performed on nine carbon nanocoils (CNCs) using a focused-ion-beam (FIB) technique. In each experiment, an individual CNC was picked up using an FIB, and a CNC bridge formed between a tungsten probe and the spring-table substrate. Real-time observations of the CNC elongation and subsequent fracture under prolonged stretching enabled us to estimate the elastic limit, the spring constant, the shear modulus, and the ultimate strength of each CNC and their mean values. The mechanics of CNCs was also compared to that of macroscopic springs.