Sticking of carbon nanotube $Y$ junction branches

The coalescence of branches in the $Y$ junctions of single-wall carbon nanotubes (10 nm long) is predicted to occur when the branches approach each other under the action of a load ($\sim10\,$nN) applied to their ends. A transition to the new state with parallel branches bound by molecular interactions was simulated and the energy characteristics were calculated by the molecular dynamics method. The $Y$ junctions with parallel branches are stable at temperatures up to 2000 K. It is established that there is a threshold distance between the branch ends, below which the branches exhibit spontaneous sticking under the action of molecular attraction forces. If the branches are unloaded before this threshold distance is reached, they oscillate (acting as a nanodimensional «tuning fork») at a frequency of $\sim100\,$GHz.