Discrete thinning dynamics in a continuum model of metallic nanowires
| dc.creator | Bürki, J. | |
| dc.date | 2006-11-03 | |
| dc.date | 2007-04-17 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T08:05:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T08:05:39Z | |
| dc.description | Transmission electron microscopy experiments have recently observed gold metal nanocylinders to thin down in a discrete manner: A kink--a step of order of one atomic layer--nucleates at one end and then moves along the wire, leaving a thinner cylinder behind it. In this paper, I show that a similar thinning process takes place within the nanoscale free-electron model, a structural and dynamical model of nanowires that treats the electron-confinement effects exactly while replacing the atomic structure by a continuum. Electron-shell effects, previously shown to be responsible for the stability of wires with magic radii, favor the formation of kinks connecting magic cylinders. A rich kink dynamics including interkink interactions ensues and is similar to that observed experimentally. | |
| dc.description | 9 pages, 5 figures. Version accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. B. The section on instability propagation has been removed, and submitted as a separate manuscript (arXiv:0704.2227) | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0611070 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0611070 | |
| dc.identifier | Phys. Rev. B 75, 205435 (2007) | |
| dc.identifier | doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.75.205435 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/130346 | |
| dc.subject | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics | |
| dc.title | Discrete thinning dynamics in a continuum model of metallic nanowires | |
| dc.type | text |