Single MWNT‐Glass Fiber as Strain Sensor and Switch

Abstract
A single multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT)‐glass fiber is used to monitor the initiation and growth of microcracks in composites, which provides an early warning system to detect fracture in materials. An electromechanical microswitch is further constructed based on the connecting/breaking of the nanotube bridges across microcracks under external strain or thermal expansion.