ABSTRACT
The self-organized criticality mechanism at levels of nanoand microsizes has been investigated using carbon multiwalled and single-walled nanotubes as graphene analogs. The formation of samples in the shape of sand heaps has been described. The specic features of this experiment are electrical resistance measurements conducted for lateral samples at certain decline angles of the surface at which the sample forms, and prebreakdown voltage values. The power law dependency between resistivity of the samples and the amount of material portions has demonstrated the number of the self-organized criticality manifestation. The processes of avalanche formation, percolation, and electrical instability have been studied experimentally using carbon nanotubes as examples. Described investigations are based on comparing electrical conductivity dynamics in classical experiments such as the “sand heap,” as well as comparing the two-dimensional grid of resistances with a stochastic node blocking, and the nanosecond percolation in an electrical instability mode in nanotube tangles or granules. Regular patterns and the general concept have been identied. Nanosecond-pulsed voltagecurrent curves of an array of multi-and single-walled carbon nanotubes have been studied in the presence of electric elds where instabilities with negative differential conductivity can be observed. It is established that the development of electric instability in these structures obeys the classical percolation mechanism. Processes in weak electric elds analogous to
processes in the base grid with embedded inhomogeneities have been revealed.
