Investigation of strain in individual multi-walled carbon nanotube by a novel moiré method

A novel optic method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nano-moiré method is proposed and applied to measure the strain and stress in individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This technique is based on the advantages of the high-resolution of the TEM system. It allows direct measurement of nanoscopic mechanical parameters. The principle of the technique is described in detail. Since the process of deformation in nanotubes can be recorded in real-time, the TEM moiré technique has many potential applications in mechanical metrology of nanoscopic systems. As an example, the residual strain distribution along a MWCNT caused by dislocations is precisely detected using this technique.