Scaling of the conductance in gold nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum conductance properties of newly observed gold nanotubes, analyzing how their structure and orbital composition influence electrical transport, with potential implications for nanoscale device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a study of the transport properties of gold nanotubes, highlighting the effects of chirality and orbital contributions on conductance, supported by an analytical model.

Findings

Conductance per atomic row decreases with increasing diameter.

Analytical formula based on a one-orbital model explains conductance trend.

Gold nanotubes exhibit stability suitable for future electronic applications.

Abstract

A new form of gold nanobridges has been recently observed in ultrahigh-vacuum experiments, where the gold atoms rearrange to build helical nanotubes, akin in some respects to carbon nanotubes. The good reproducibility of these wires and their unexpected stability will allow for conductance measurements and make them promising candidates for future applications . We present here a study of the transport properties of these nanotubes in order to understand the role of chirality and of the different orbitals in quantum transport observables. The conductance per atomic row shows a light decreasing trend as the diameter grows, which is also shown through an analytical formula based on a one-orbital model.