Quantum interference structures in the conductance plateaus of gold nanojunctions

TL;DR

This study reveals that quantum interference significantly influences the fine structure of conductance plateaus in gold nanojunctions, beyond atomic discreteness effects, through detailed measurements and statistical analysis.

Contribution

It demonstrates that quantum interference phenomena play a major role in shaping conductance plateaus in metallic nanojunctions, providing new insights into atomic-scale electron transport.

Findings

Quantum interference affects conductance plateau structure

Atomic discreteness influences conductance evolution

Statistical analysis confirms interference's role in conductance features

Abstract

The conductance of breaking metallic nanojunctions shows plateaus alternated with sudden jumps, corresponding to the stretching of stable atomic configurations and atomic rearrangements, respectively. We investigate the structure of the conductance plateaus both by measuring the voltage dependence of the plateaus' slope on individual junctions and by a detailed statistical analysis on a large amount of contacts. Though the atomic discreteness of the junction plays a fundamental role in the evolution of the conductance, we find that the fine structure of the conductance plateaus is determined by quantum interference phenomenon to a great extent.