Structural and electronic properties of a carbon nanotorus: Effects of delocalized and localized deformations

The bending of a carbon nanotube is studied by considering the structural evolution of a carbon nanotorus from elastic deformation to the onset of the kinks and eventually to the collapse of the walls of the nanotorus. The changes in the electronic properties due to delocalized deformations are contrasted with those due to localized deformations to bring out the subtle issue underlying the reason why there is only a relatively small reduction in the electrical conductance in the former case even at large bending angles, while there is a dramatic reduction in the conductance in the latter case at relatively small bending angles.