Abstract
A linear stability analysis of metallic nanowires is performed in the free-electron model using quantum chaos techniques. It is found that the classical instability of a long wire under surface tension can be completely suppressed by electronic shell effects, leading to stable cylindrical configurations whose electrical conductance is a magic number 1, 3, 5, 6, . . . times the quantum of conductance. Our results are quantitatively consistent with recent experiments with alkali metal nanowires.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 167-177 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Nonlinearity |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
- Mathematical Physics
- General Physics and Astronomy
- Applied Mathematics