Carbon nanotube (CNT) oscillators based on a single-walled CNT bundle were investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulations. We present the schematics of a CNT bundle oscillator that could be initiated by an electrostatic capacitive force. While the capacitive force acting on a CNT oscillator extruded it, the force exerted on the CNT oscillator by the excess van der Waals energy sucked it into the bundle. Therefore, the CNT oscillator could be oscillated by both Coulomb and the van der Waals interactions. The operation frequency of a CNT bundle oscillator could be controlled by both the size and the length of the bundle. Our molecular dynamics simulation results showed unique features of the CNT bundle oscillators such as chaotic signature and high damping rate. CNT oscillation in the bundle showed the coupled motion to be dependent on other CNTs rather than a collective motion of the bundle. As the number of CNTs in the bundle oscillator increased, the chaotic signature of the CNT bundle oscillator increased with the increasing of coupled CNTs.

We investigated a carbon nanotube (CNT) oscillator controlled by thermal gas expansion using classical molecular dynamics simulations. When the temperature rapidly increased, the force on the CNT oscillator induced by the thermal gas expansion rapidly increased and pushed out the CNT oscillator. As the CNT oscillator extruded from the outer nanotube, the suction force on the CNT oscillator increased by the excess van der Waals (vdW) energy. When the CNT oscillator reached the maximum extrusion point, the CNT oscillator was encapsulated into the outer nanotube by the suction force. Therefore, the CNT oscillator could be oscillated by both the gas expansion and the excess vdW interaction. As the temperature increased, the amplitude of the CNT oscillator increased. At high temperatures, the CNT oscillator escaped from the outer nanotube, because the force on the CNT oscillator due to the thermal gas expansion was higher than the suction force due to the excess vdW energy. By the appropriate temperature controls, such as the maximum temperature, the heating rate, and the cooling rate, the CNT oscillator could be operated.

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