  Graphene and carbon nanotubes represent the ultimate size limit of one and
two-dimensional nanoelectromechanical resonators. Because of their reduced
dimensionality, graphene and carbon nanotubes display unusual mechanical
behavior; in particular, their dynamics is highly nonlinear. Here, we review
several types of nonlinear behavior in resonators made from nanotubes and
graphene. We first discuss an unprecedented scenario where damping is described
by a nonlinear force. This scenario is supported by several experimental facts:
(i) the quality factor varies with the amplitude of the motion as a power law
whose exponent coincides with the value predicted by the nonlinear damping
model, (ii) hysteretic behavior (of the motional amplitude as a function of
driving frequency) is absent in some of our resonators even for large driving
forces, as expected when nonlinear damping forces are large, and (iii) when we
quantify the linear damping force (by performing parametric excitation
measurements) we find that it is significantly smaller than the nonlinear
damping force. We then review parametric excitation measurements, an
alternative actuation method which is based on nonlinear dynamics. Finally, we
discuss experiments where the mechanical motion is coupled to electron
transport through a nanotube. The coupling can be made so strong that the
associated force acting on the nanotube becomes highly nonlinear with
displacement and velocity. Overall, graphene and nanotube resonators hold
promise for future studies on classical and quantum nonlinear dynamics.
