Structural and Electronic Properties of a Carbon Nanotorus: Effects of Delocalized Vs Localized Deformations

Abstract

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 {\it non-local} deformation are contrasted with those due to {\it local} deformation 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.