Quantum fluctuations in the cohesive force of metallic nanowires
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
2009-10-31 v2
Abstract
Based on the recent free electron model for cohesion in narrow metallic constrictions by Stafford et al., we calculate the quantum fluctuations in the cohesive force versus elongation. The fluctuations are dominated by states near the Fermi energy, thus explaining their apparently universal magnitude of order epsilon_F/lambda_F. We present numerical results for the force fluctuations in a simple geometry and show that they are well described by the contributions of a few classical periodic orbits in the Balian-Bloch trace formula for the density of states of transverse motion.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9810134,
title = {Quantum fluctuations in the cohesive force of metallic nanowires},
author = {C. Hoeppler and W. Zwerger},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9810134},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX, minor changes, to appear in Phys. Rev. B Rapid. Comm