192 research outputs found
Robust procedure for creating and characterizing the atomic structure of scanning tunneling microscope tips
Scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) are used extensively for studying and
manipulating matter at the atomic scale. In spite of the critical role of the
STM tip, the control of the atomic-scale shape of STM tips remains a poorly
solved problem. Here, we present a method for preparing tips {\it in-situ} and
for ensuring the crystalline structure and reproducibly preparing tip structure
up to the second atomic layer. We demonstrate a controlled evolution of such
tips starting from undefined tip shapes.Comment: 12 pages preprint-style; 5 figure
Metallic properties of magnesium point contacts
We present an experimental and theoretical study of the conductance and
stability of Mg atomic-sized contacts. Using Mechanically Controllable Break
Junctions (MCBJ), we have observed that the room temperature conductance
histograms exhibit a series of peaks, which suggests the existence of a shell
effect. Its periodicity, however, cannot be simply explained in terms of either
an atomic or electronic shell effect. We have also found that at room
temperature, contacts of the diameter of a single atom are absent. A possible
interpretation could be the occurrence of a metal-to-insulator transition as
the contact radius is reduced, in analogy with what it is known in the context
of Mg clusters. However, our first principle calculations show that while an
infinite linear chain can be insulating, Mg wires with larger atomic
coordinations, as in realistic atomic contacts, are alwaysmetallic. Finally, at
liquid helium temperature our measurements show that the conductance histogram
is dominated by a pronounced peak at the quantum of conductance. This is in
good agreement with our calculations based on a tight-binding model that
indicate that the conductance of a Mg one-atom contact is dominated by a single
fully open conduction channel.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Structure and conductance histogram of atomic-sized Au contacts
Many experiments have shown that the conductance histograms of metallic
atomic-sized contacts exhibit a peak structure, which is characteristic of the
corresponding material. The origin of these peaks still remains as an open
problem. In order to shed some light on this issue, we present a theoretical
analysis of the conductance histograms of Au atomic contacts. We have combined
classical molecular dynamics simulations of the breaking of nanocontacts with
conductance calculations based on a tight-binding model. This combination gives
us access to crucial information such as contact geometries, forces, minimum
cross-section, total conductance and transmission coefficients of the
individual conduction channels. The ensemble of our results suggests that the
low temperature Au conductance histograms are a consequence of a subtle
interplay between mechanical and electrical properties of these nanocontacts.
At variance with other suggestions in the literature, our results indicate that
the peaks in the Au conductance histograms are not a simple consequence of
conductance quantization or the existence of exceptionally stable radii. We
show that the main peak in the histogram close to one quantum of conductance is
due to the formation of single-atom contacts and chains of gold atoms.
Moreover, we present a detailed comparison with experimental results on Au
atomic contacts where the individual channel transmissions have been
determined.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, version to be published in Phys. Rev. B. The
paper has been thoroughly revised and several figures have been replaced by
new one
Examining habituation and sensitization across repetitive laboratory stress inductions using the MAST
Reliably eliciting acute stress repeatedly over time is of indispensable value for research into stress vulnerability and for developing interventions aimed at increasing stress resiliency. Here, we evaluated whether the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), a potent stress protocol that combines physical and psychosocial stress components, can be used to reliably elicit subjective and neuroendocrine stress responses multiple times. Sixty healthy undergraduate participants were exposed to the MAST on three occasions, with intervals of three-weeks and one-month in between sessions. Results showed no significant signs of habituation or sensitization to the MAST in terms of subjective or physiological (salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol) stress reactivity. Fifty-nine percent of the sample displayed a significant physiological stress response (i.e., cortisol) to two MAST exposures and 57% to every MAST exposure. This study demonstrates that the MAST can be used to repeatedly induce significant stress responses
Evidence for saturation of channel transmission from conductance fluctuations in atomic-size point contacts
The conductance of atomic size contacts has a small, random, voltage
dependent component analogous to conductance fluctuations observed in diffusive
wires (UCF). A new effect is observed in gold contacts, consisting of a marked
suppression of these fluctuations when the conductance of the contact is close
to integer multiples of the conductance quantum. Using a model based on the
Landauer-Buettiker formalism we interpret this effect as evidence that the
conductance tends to be built up from fully transmitted (i.e., saturated)
channels plus a single, which is partially transmitted.Comment: An error in Eq.(2) was corrected, where a square root was added to
the factor (1-cos(gamma)). This results in a revised estimate for the mean
free path of 5 nm, which is now fully consistent with the estimates from the
series resistance and the thermopowe
Conductance of a tunnel point-contact of noble metals in the presence of a single defect
In paper [1] (Avotina et al. Phys. Rev. B,74, 085411 (2006)) the effect of
Fermi surface anisotropy to the conductance of a tunnel point contact, in the
vicinity of which a single point-like defect is situated, has been investigated
theoretically. The oscillatory dependence of the conductance on the distance
between the contact and the defect has been found for a general Fermi surface
geometry. In this paper we apply the method developed in [1] to the calculation
of the conductance of noble metal contacts. An original algorithm, which
enables the computation of the conductance for any parametrically given Fermi
surface, is proposed. On this basis a pattern of the conductance oscillations,
which can be observed by the method of scanning tunneling microscopy, is
obtained for different orientations of the surface for the noble metals.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Theory of oscillations in the STM conductance resulting from subsurface defects (Review Article)
In this review we present recent theoretical results concerning
investigations of single subsurface defects by means of a scanning tunneling
microscope (STM). These investigations are based on the effect of quantum
interference between the electron partial waves that are directly transmitted
through the contact and the partial waves scattered by the defect. In
particular, we have shown the possibility imaging the defect position below a
metal surface by means of STM. Different types of subsurface defects have been
discussed: point-like magnetic and non-magnetic defects, magnetic clusters in a
nonmagnetic host metal, and non-magnetic defects in a s-wave superconductor.
The effect of Fermi surface anisotropy has been analyzed. Also, results of
investigations of the effect of a strong magnetic field to the STM conductance
of a tunnel point contact in the presence of a single defect has been
presented.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figuers Submitted to Low. Temp. Phy
Common Origin for Surface Reconstruction and the Formation of Chains of Metal Atoms
During the fracture of nanocontacts gold spontaneously forms freely suspended
chains of atoms, which is not observed for the iso-electronic noble metals Ag
and Cu. Au also differs from Ag and Cu in forming reconstructions at its
low-index surfaces. Using mechanically controllable break junctions we show
that all the 5d metals that show similar reconstructions (Ir, Pt and Au) also
form chains of atoms, while both properties are absent in the 4d neighbor
elements (Rh, Pd, Ag), indicating a common origin for these two phenomena. A
competition between s and d bonding is proposed as an explanation
Coherent Relation between Structure and Conduction of Infinite Atomic Wires
We demonstrate a theoretical analysis concerning the geometrical structures
and electrical conduction of infinite monatomic gold and aluminum wires in the
process of their elongation, based on first-principles molecular-dynamics
simulations using the real-space finite-difference method. Our study predicts
that the single-row gold wire ruptures up to form a dimer coupling structure
when the average interatomic distance increases up to more than 3.0 A, and that
the wire is conductive before breaking but changes to an insulator at the
rupturing point. In the case of the alumi-num wire, it exhibits a magnetic
ordering due to the spin polarization, and even when stretched up to the
average interatomic distance of 3.5 A, a dimerization does not oc-cur and the
wire keeps a metallic nature.Comment: 10 pages and 6 figures. accepted to Nanotechnolog
Signature of Fermi surface anisotropy in point contact conductance in the presence of defects
In a previous paper (Avotina et al.,Phys. Rev. B Vol.71, 115430 (2005)) we
have shown that in principle it is possible to image the defect positions below
a metal surface by means of a scanning tunnelling microscope. The principle
relies on the interference of electron waves scattered on the defects, which
give rise to small but measurable conductance fluctuations. Whereas in that
work the band structure was assumed to be free-electron like, here we
investigate the effects of Fermi surface anisotropy. We demonstrate that the
amplitude and period of the conductance oscillations are determined by the
local geometry of the Fermi surface. The signal results from those points for
which the electron velocity is directed along the vector connecting the point
contact to the defect. For a general Fermi surface geometry the position of the
maximum amplitude of the conductance oscillations is not found for the tip
directly above the defect. We have determined optimal conditions for
determination of defect positions in metals with closed and open Fermi
surfaces.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure
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