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Conductance in Nanocontacts of Soft Metals and Liquid Metals

Research Project

Project/Area Number 11440092
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 固体物性Ⅰ(光物性・半導体・誘電体)
Research InstitutionKYOTO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

SAKAI Akira  Kyoto University, Graduate School of Engineering, Professor, 工学研究科, 教授 (80143543)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) KUROKAWA Shu  Kyoto University, Graduate School of Engineering, Research Associate, 工学研究科, 助手 (90303859)
Project Period (FY) 1999 – 2000
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2000)
Budget Amount *help
¥14,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥12,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,100,000)
KeywordsQuantized conductance / Quantum point contact / Atom-sized contacts / Single-atom contacts / Transition metals / Liquid-metal nanocontacts / Alloy nanocontacts / 単原子接合
Research Abstract

It is well known that the conductance quantization in quantum point contacts of metals can be best observed in soft metals such as Au. However, no systematic studies have been performed so far on how mechanical strength of metals influences the conductance quantization in their contacts. This study was conducted through 1999-2000 fiscal years to clarify the interrelation between hardness of metals and the appearance of conductance quantization in their atom-sized contacts. Main results obtained in this work are listed below.
1. We investigated the conductance of five transition metals of different hardness, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, and Ir, and found that none of them exhibit the conductance quantization as clearly as that of Au. However, the conductance characteristics depends on metals, and a weak correlation can be found between the degree of conductance quantization and the mechanical strength of metals.
2. Although liquid Hg represents the softest metals, it also exhibits hardly any evidences … More of the conductance quantization. We found that the conductance characteristics of Hg depend on the speed of contact breaking. In fast-breaking relay contacts, Hg shows no conductance plateaus in transient conductance traces. With the use of a slow-breaking mechanical contact, we can observe, not often but occasionally, well-defined quantized conductance plateaus.
3. Alloying is a typical method of strengthening metals. We, therefore, carried out experiments on AuPd alloys to clarify the influence of alloying on the conductance quantization. In AuPd, it is found that the conductance characteristics transform gradually from that of pure Au to that of pure Pd with increasing the Pd concentration. Quantized conductance peaks in the histogram of Au are reduced by alloying with Pd, and gradually replaced by a broad structure characteristic of the Pd histogram. An important finding is that the first conductance peak shows no peak shift upon Pd alloying. This observation suggests that the electron scattering by solute atoms is much stronger than to generate the peak shift. Less

Report

(3 results)
  • 2000 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1999 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (21 results)

All Other

All Publications (21 results)

  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Bias-Dependence of the Conductance of Au Nanocontacts at 4 K""Applied Surface Science. 169-170. 489-492 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Conductance in Breaking Nanocontacts of Some Transition Metals""Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 40. 803-808 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Quantized Conductance in Pt Nanocontacts""Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 39. 4593-4595 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Katsuhiro Itakura: ""Conductance of Rh and Ru nanocontacts""Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. 69. 625-626 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Katsuhiro Itakura: ""Bias dependence of the conductance of Au nanocontacts""Physical Review B. 60. 11163-11170 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 酒井明: "金属ナノ接点における量子化コンダクタンス"表面科学. 20. 554-562 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki, Akihiro Enomoto, and Akira Sakai: "Bias-Dependence of the Conductance of Au Nanocontacts at 4 K"Applied Surface Science. 169-170. 489-492 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki, Shu Kurokawa, and Akira Sakai: "Conductance in Breaking Nanocontacts of Some Transition Metals"Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 40. 803-808 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki, Shu Kurokawa, and Akira Sakai: "Quantized Conductance in Pt Nanocontacts"Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 39. 4593-4595 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Katsuhiro Itakura, Hiroshi.Yasuda, Shu Kurokawa, and Akira Sakai: "Conductance of Rh and Ru nanocontacts"Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. 69. 625-626 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Katsuhiro Itakura, Kenji Yuki, Shu Kurokawa, Hiroshi Yasuda, and Akira Sakai: "Bias dependence of the conductance of Au nanocontacts"Physical Review. B60. 11163-11170 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Akira Sakai: ""Quantized Conductance in Metal Nanocontacts" (in Japanese)"Hyomen Kagaku. 20. 554-562 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2000 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Bias-Dependence of the Conductance of Au Nanocontacts at 4 K""Applied Surface Science. (掲載決定). (2001)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Conductance in Breaking Nanocontacts of Some Transition Metals""Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 40・2A. 803-808 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Quantized Conductance in Pt Nanocontacts""Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 39・7B. 4593-4595 (2000)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Katsuhiro Itakura: ""Conductance of Rh and Ru nanocontacts""Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. 69・2. 625-626 (2000)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Quantized Conductance in Pt Nanocontacts""Japanese Journal of Applied Phusics. (掲載決定). (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kazuhiro Itakura: ""Conductance of Rh and Ru nanocontacts""Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. (掲載決定). (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kenji Yuki: ""Bias-Dependence of the Conductance of Au Nanocontacts at 4 K""Applied Surface Science. (掲載決定). (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kazuhiro Itakura: ""Bias dependence of the conductance of Au nanocontacts""Physical Review. B60・15. 11163-11170 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 酒井 明: "「金属ナノ接点における量子化コンダクタンス」"表面科学. 20・8. 554-562 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1999-04-01   Modified: 2020-05-15  

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