Electronic and atomic processes in nanowires
Author(s)
Advisor
Date
1996Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
89
views
views
23
downloads
downloads
Abstract
The variation of conductance of a nanowire which is pulled between two metal
electrodes has been the subject of dispute. Recent experimental set-ups using
a combination of STM and AFM show that changes in conductivity are closely
related with modification of atomic structure. In this thesis electron transport
in the nanoindentation and in the connective neck are studied and features
of measured conductance are analyzed. Molecular Dynamics simulations of
nanowires under tensile stress are carried out to reveal the mechanical properties
in nanowires in the course of stretching. A novel type of plcistic deformation,
which leads to the formation of bundles with “giant” yield strength is found.
An extensive analysis on how abrupt changes in the conductance and the last
plateau before the break are related with “quantization phenomena” and atomic
structure rearrangements in the neck. By using ab-initio self-consistent field
pseudopotential calculations we also investigated electron properties of nanowires
and atomic chains and predicted the large yield strength observed in the center
of connective neck.
Keywords
conductancenanowire
atomic structure
electron transport
nanoindentation
molecular dynamics
mechanical properties
bundles
self-consistent field
yield strength