Nanowire networks: how does small-world character evolve with dimensionality?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the small-world properties of nanowire networks change with dimensionality, comparing 2D and quasi-3D structures and their relation to Watts Strogatz benchmarks.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of stacking on nanowire network topology, highlighting differences in connectivity and small-world characteristics between 2D and quasi-3D networks.

Findings

Quasi-3D networks show significantly different connectivity from 2D networks.

Stacking influences clustering, path length, and modularity in nanowire networks.

Differences may affect the performance in electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Abstract

Networks of nanowires are currently under consideration for a wide range of electronic and optoelectronic applications. Nanowire devices are usually made by sequential deposition, which inevitably leads to stacking of the wires on top of one another. Here we demonstrate the effect of stacking on the topology of the resulting networks. We compare perfectly 2D networks with quasi3D networks, and compare both nanowire networks to the corresponding Watts Strogatz networks, which are standard benchmark systems. By investigating quantities such as clustering, path length, modularity, and small world propensity we show that the connectivity of the quasi-3D networks is significantly different to that of the 2D networks, a result which may have important implications for applications of nanowire networks.