Conductance oscillations in metallic nanocontacts

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the conductance of sodium atomic chains varies with chain length and contact geometry, revealing oscillations caused by resonant states and lead shape effects in low-bias conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of conductance oscillations in metallic nanocontacts, highlighting the influence of atomic chain length and contact geometry on conductance behavior.

Findings

Conductance oscillates with the number of atoms in the chain.

Lead shape affects conductance, causing additional oscillations.

Resonant states and charge neutrality conditions drive the oscillations.

Abstract

We examine the conductance properties of a chain of Na atoms between two metallic leads in the limit of low bias. Resonant states corresponding to the conductance channel and the local charge neutrality condition cause conductance oscillations as a function of the number of atoms in the chain. Moreover, the geometrical shape of the contact leads influences the conductivity by giving rise to additional oscillations as a function of the lead opening angle.