Prediction of thermal conductivity of single-wall carbon nanotubes with mechanical strains

One of the primary obstacles to continuing the rapid miniaturization of micro- or nanoscale electronic and mechanical devices is the removal of excess heat generated by mismatches between the power consumption and conventional heat dissipation mechanisms in the devices. Carbon nanotubes are promising materials for such applications, but their thermal transport characteristics under realistic conditions are not well understood. This work describes equilibrium heat transport in carbon nanotubes as a function of temperature, mechanical strain, and strain induced defects in nanotubes. A comparison with pristine nanotubes under ideal conditions is made to evaluate the degradation in the heat transport characteristics under realistic conditions.