Molecular dynamics simulations of an inertia sensor with carbon nanotube oscillators.

We investigated a nanoscale inertia sensor based on telescoping carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using classical molecular dynamics simulations. The positions of the telescoping CNTs are controlled by the centrifugal forces exerted by the rotation platform and thus position shifts are determined by the capacitance between CNTs and the electrode, and the operating frequency of the CNT oscillator. This measurement system, tracking oscillations of the CNT oscillator, can be used as the sensor for numerous types of devices, such as motion detectors, accelerometers, and acoustic sensors.