Data from: Chirality-induced tension–rotation coupling in cylindrical kirigami structures

Kirigami, a class of metamaterials composed of elastic sheets with
periodic cuts, enables significant in-plane compliance through
out-of-plane buckling. This study comprehensively investigates the
mechanics and kinematics of chiral cylindrical kirigami structures,
demonstrating the emergence of spontaneous rotational deformation under
axial stretching. Experimental results reveal that the geometric
constraints of the cylinder transform standard tension–torsion coupling
into a macroscopic rotation in the absence of external torque. We develop
a theoretical model that characterizes the relative rotation angle and
Poisson's ratio using a single kinematic variable: the opening angle
of the parallel cuts. Finite element simulations faithfully reproduce the
experimental findings, capturing the progressive nature of the
out-of-plane buckling. Notably, highly chiral structures exhibit a novel,
spiral-like propagation of deformation along a helical path closely
aligned with the cut orientation. The proposed chiral cylindrical kirigami
structure is easily fabricable and offers programmable rotation and
auxetic behaviour through the precise control of structural chirality.