Conduction channels of one-atom zinc contacts
Abstract
We have determined the transmission coefficients of atomic-sized Zn contacts using a different type of breakjunction, which contains a whisker as a central bridge. We find that in the last conductance plateau the transport is unexpectedly dominated by a well-transmitting single conduction channel. We explain the experimental findings with the help of a tight-binding model that shows that in a one-atom Zn contact the current proceeds through the 4s and 4p orbitals of the central atom.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.70.241404
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0407207
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhRvB..70x1404H
- Keywords:
-
- 73.40.Jn;
- 73.63.Rt;
- Metal-to-metal contacts;
- Nanoscale contacts;
- Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect
- E-Print:
- revtex4, 5 pages, 5 figures