Investigation on the mechanical behaviors of copper nanowires under torsion

Atomistic simulations are used to investigate the mechanical properties of 〈1 0 0〉 copper nanowires under torsional loading. The inter-atomic interactions are represented by employing embedded-atom potential. The loading rates, wire cross-sectional sizes and thermal effects on the critical angle of copper nanowires are discussed. It may be predicted from our simulation that the nanowires take different paths of deformation at different loading rates. For lower loading rates, the nanowire is showed clear periodic fluctuation characteristics in potential energy response, with dislocation and slippage occurring along the (1 1 1) plane. While in high loading rates, periodic fluctuation behavior become less clearly defined, and atoms cluster into disorder arrays near the two ends of the nanowire.