A simulation of the deflection of a single wall nanotube under the manipulation of an atomic force microscope tip revealed the key feature characterizing the deformation at relatively small bending angles to be a reversible transition from $s{p}^2$ to $s{p}^3$ bonding configurations in the bending region, leading to a 2 orders of magnitude reduction in conductance consistent with our most recent experimental observation. A local analysis elucidating the underlying physics of the findings is also discussed.

• Received 28 December 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.4950