  The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of armchair graphene nanoribbons
under a local uniaxial tension are investigated by using first principles
quantum transport calculations. It is shown that for a given value of
bias-voltage, the resulting current depends strongly on the applied tension.
The observed trends are explained by means of changes in the band gaps of the
nanoribbons due to the applied uniaxial tension. In the course of plastic
deformation, the irreversible structural changes and derivation of carbon
monatomic chains from graphene pieces can be monitored by two-probe transport
measurements.
