Negative differential thermal resistance in deformed carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We numerically investigate the effects of deformations on negative differential thermal resistance (NDTR) in single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It is found that various deformations have different effects on the regime of NDTR. The z-distortion of CNTs almost does not affect the regime of NDTR and the xy-distortion reduces the regime of NDTR. On increasing the bending angle and screw ratio, the NDTR regime reduces and eventually vanished. In addition, when the length of CNTs increases, the NDTR regime also reduces. Double NDTR even occur when the diameter of CNTs increases. These effects may be helpful in understanding the microscopic mechanism of NDTR and also would be conducive to further developments in designing and fabricating the thermal devices where NDTR plays an important role.