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Metallic, magnetic and molecular nanocontacts

Nature Nanotechnology volume 11, pages 499–508 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Scanning tunnelling microscopy and break-junction experiments realize metallic and molecular nanocontacts that act as ideal one-dimensional channels between macroscopic electrodes. Emergent nanoscale phenomena typical of these systems encompass structural, mechanical, electronic, transport, and magnetic properties. This Review focuses on the theoretical explanation of some of these properties obtained with the help of first-principles methods. By tracing parallel theoretical and experimental developments from the discovery of nanowire formation and conductance quantization in gold nanowires to recent observations of emergent magnetism and Kondo correlations, we exemplify the main concepts and ingredients needed to bring together ab initio calculations and physical observations. It can be anticipated that diode, sensor, spin-valve and spin-filter functionalities relevant for spintronics and molecular electronics applications will benefit from the physical understanding thus obtained.

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Figure 1: Gold nanowires.
Figure 2: Model break-junction nanocontact.
Figure 3: Conductance quantization.
Figure 4: Shot noise measurements.
Figure 5: Kondo conductance anomaly.
Figure 6: Scanning tunnelling microscope molecular break junction.

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Acknowledgements

Work in Trieste was partly sponsored by ERC Advanced Grant 320796 — MODPHYSFRICT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, Trieste, 34136, Italy

    Ryan Requist, Pier Paolo Baruselli, Michele Fabrizio & Erio Tosatti

  2. Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, Halle, 06114, Germany

    Ryan Requist

  3. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany

    Pier Paolo Baruselli

  4. Democritos Simulation Center, Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Bonomea 265, Trieste, 34136, Italy

    Pier Paolo Baruselli, Michele Fabrizio & Erio Tosatti

  5. Service de Physique de l'Etat Condensé (SPEC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, 91191, France

    Alexander Smogunov

  6. Physics Department, University of Trieste, Via Valerio 2, Trieste, 34127, Italy

    Silvio Modesti

  7. TASC Laboratory, Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, s.s. 14 km 163.5, Trieste, 34149, Italy

    Silvio Modesti

  8. International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11, Trieste, 34151, Italy

    Erio Tosatti

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  1. Ryan Requist
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Correspondence to Ryan Requist.

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Requist, R., Baruselli, P., Smogunov, A. et al. Metallic, magnetic and molecular nanocontacts. Nature Nanotech 11, 499–508 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2016.55

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