Strain-induced structural transformation of a silver nanowire

We have investigated the structural characteristics of the experimentally observed phase transition of a silver nanowire into a tube under tensile strain. In the simulations, atoms are allowed to interact via a model potential extracted from the modified embedded atom method. Our calculations demonstrate that the formation of the hollow structure is governed by the nature of the applied strain, the length of the wire, and the initial cross-sectional shape. The results further offer insights into the atomistic nature of this specific structural transformation into a nanotube with the smallest possible cross-section. (paper)