dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaI-V characteristics and differential conductance fluctuations of Au nanowires
| Authors | H. Mehrez, Alex Wlasenko, Brian Larade, Jeremy Taylor, Peter Grutter, Hong Guo |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0106027 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0106027 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevB.65.195419 |
Abstract
Electronic transport properties of Au nano-structure are investigated using both experimental and theoretical analysis. Experimentally, stable Au nanowires were created using mechanically controllable break junction in air, and simultaneous current-voltage (I-V) and differential conductance $\delta I/\delta V$ data were measured. The atomic device scale structures are mechanically very stable up to bias voltage $V_b\sim0.6V$ and have a life time of a few $minutes$. Facilitated by a shape function data analysis technique which finger-prints electronic properties of the atomic device, our data show clearly differential conductance fluctuations with an amplitude $>1%$ at room temperature, and a nonlinear I-V characteristics. To understand the transport features of these atomic scale conductors, we carried out {\it ab initio} calculations on various Au atomic wires. The theoretical results demonstrate that transport properties of these systems crucially depend on the electronic properties of the scattering region, the leads, and most importantly the interaction of the scattering region with the leads. For ideal, clean Au contacts, the theoretical results indicate a linear I-V behavior for bias voltage $V_b<0.5V$. When sulfur impurities exist at the contact junction, nonlinear I-V curves emerge due to a tunnelling barrier established in the presence of the S atom. The most striking observation is that even a single S atom can cause a qualitative change of the I-V curve from linear to nonlinear. A quantitatively favorable comparison between experimental data and theoretical results is obtained. We also report other results concerning quantum transport through Au atomic contacts.
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"abstract": "Electronic transport properties of Au nano-structure are investigated using\nboth experimental and theoretical analysis. Experimentally, stable Au nanowires\nwere created using mechanically controllable break junction in air, and\nsimultaneous current-voltage (I-V) and differential conductance $\\delta\nI/\\delta V$ data were measured. The atomic device scale structures are\nmechanically very stable up to bias voltage $V_b\\sim0.6V$ and have a life time\nof a few $minutes$. Facilitated by a shape function data analysis technique\nwhich finger-prints electronic properties of the atomic device, our data show\nclearly differential conductance fluctuations with an amplitude $\u003e1%$ at room\ntemperature, and a nonlinear I-V characteristics. To understand the transport\nfeatures of these atomic scale conductors, we carried out {\\it ab initio}\ncalculations on various Au atomic wires. The theoretical results demonstrate\nthat transport properties of these systems crucially depend on the electronic\nproperties of the scattering region, the leads, and most importantly the\ninteraction of the scattering region with the leads. For ideal, clean Au\ncontacts, the theoretical results indicate a linear I-V behavior for bias\nvoltage $V_b\u003c0.5V$. When sulfur impurities exist at the contact junction,\nnonlinear I-V curves emerge due to a tunnelling barrier established in the\npresence of the S atom. The most striking observation is that even a single S\natom can cause a qualitative change of the I-V curve from linear to nonlinear.\nA quantitatively favorable comparison between experimental data and theoretical\nresults is obtained. We also report other results concerning quantum transport\nthrough Au atomic contacts.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0106027",
"authors": [
"H. Mehrez",
"Alex Wlasenko",
"Brian Larade",
"Jeremy Taylor",
"Peter Grutter",
"Hong Guo"
],
"categories": [
"physics.comp-ph",
"cond-mat.mes-hall",
"cond-mat.soft",
"physics.atm-clus"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevB.65.195419",
"title": "I-V characteristics and differential conductance fluctuations of Au nanowires",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0106027"
},
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