Control of the motion of nanoelectromechanical systems based on carbon nanotubes

A new method is proposed for controlling the motion of nanoelectromechanical systems based on carbon nanotubes. In this method, a single-walled nanotube acquires an electric dipole moment owing to the chemical adsorption of atoms or molecules at open ends of the nanotube and, then, the electric dipole moment thus induced can be set in motion under the effect of a nonuniform electric field. The electric dipole moments of chemically modified nanotubes are calculated for the first time. The possibility of controlling the motion of nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical systems with the proposed method is demonstrated using a gigahertz oscillator as an example. The operating characteristics of the gigahertz oscillator and the controlling electric field are calculated.