Open AccessComment on “Nonlinear current-voltage curves of gold quantum point contacts” [Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 103104 (2005)]
Author(s) -
J. Bürki,
Charles Stafford,
D. L. Stein
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
applied physics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 442
eISSN - 1077-3118
pISSN - 0003-6951
DOI - 10.1063/1.2195895
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , nonlinear system , quantum , current (fluid) , voltage , point (geometry) , quantum point contact , physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , nanotechnology , quantum well , thermodynamics , mathematics , geometry , laser
In a recent Letter [Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 103104 (2005)], Yoshida et al.report that nonlinearities in current-voltage curves of gold quantum pointcontacts occur as a result of a shortening of the distance between electrodesat finite bias, presumably due to thermal expansion. For short wires, theelectrode displacement induces a thickening of the wire, as well asnonlinearities of the IV curve, while the radius of long wires is leftunchanged, thus resulting in a linear IV curve. We argue here that electronshell effects, which favor wires with certain "magic radii," prevent thethickening of long wires under compression, but have little effect on wiresbelow a critical length.Comment: Version accepted for publication in Applied Physics Letter
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