Relationship between the geometric structure and conductance oscillation in nanowires

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter 2007-09, Vol.19 (36), p.365201-365201 (10)
• Main Authors: Egami, Yoshiyuki, Aiba, Shuichiro, Hirose, Kikuji, Ono, Tomoya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport in multilayers, nanoscale materials and structures; Exact sciences and technology; Physics
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/19/36/365201

A theoretical analysis of the electron transport properties of plain and bumpy jellium nanowires suspended between semi-infinite jellium electrodes is carried out, and the possibility of the experimental observation of the conductance oscillation with a period longer than the two-atom length is discussed. In both the nanowires, the transmission trace as a function of the nanowire length exhibits oscillatory behaviour. The period of the oscillation of the plain nanowire corresponds to π divided by the Bloch wavenumber of the electrons in the nanowire region. However, the period of the oscillation of the bumpy nanowire results in the least common multiple of π divided by the Bloch wavenumber and the geometric period of the nanowire. Our result indicates that the conductance oscillation with a period longer than the two-atom length can be experimentally observed if nanowires without any defects are formed in experiments.