Large electromechanical response in silicon nanowires predicted from first-principles electronic structure calculations

We study by means of first-principles electronic structure calculations the electromechanical response, i.e., the structural modifications upon charge injection, of 100 silicon nanowires. We show that, at variance with s p2 carbon nanostructures, the response is remarkably linear, discriminates between injected charge of different signs, and is up to one order of magnitude larger than in carbon nanotubes. © 2008 The American Physical Society.