Related papers: Mechanical properties of Pt monatomic chains
We investigate periodical oscillations in the conductance of suspended Au and Pt atomic chains during elongation under mechanical stress. Analysis of conductance and shot noise measurements reveals that the oscillations are mainly related…
Elastic instabilities such as buckling and snapping have evolved into a powerful design principle, enabling memory, sequential shape morphing, and computing in metamaterials and devices. Modifying the post-buckling configurations or their…
The protonic conductivity in the hydrogen bonded chains is investigated theoretically in the framework of the two-stage transport model. The strong interactions with optical phonon stretching mode are considered. We obtain the transition…
A recent survey of 17 134 proteins has identified a new class of proteins which are expected to yield stretching induced force-peaks in the range of 1 nN. Such high force peaks should be due to forcing of a slip-loop through a cystine ring,…
We consider non-Hermitian ${\cal PT}$-symmetric tight-binding chains where gain/loss optical potentials of equal magnitudes $\pm{\rm i}\gamma$ are arbitrarily distributed over all sites. The main focus is on the threshold $\gamma_c$ beyond…
Chain-like macromolecules in solution, whether biological or synthetic, transform from an extended conformation to a compact one when temperature or other system parameters change. This collapse transition is relevant in various phenomena,…
A conducting bridge of a single hydrogen molecule between Pt electrodes is formed in a break junction experiment. It has a conductance near the quantum unit, G_0 = 2e^2/h, carried by a single channel. Using point contact spectroscopy three…
We study the bending rigidity of highly charged stiff polyelectrolytes, for both a single chain and many chains forming a bundle. A theory is developed to account for the interplay between competitive binding of counterions and charge…
Platinum oxides are vital catalysts, but their limited thermal stability hinders applications. Recent studies have uncovered a structural transition in two-dimensional platinum oxides that significantly enhances their thermal resilience by…
To develop next-generation electronics and high efficiency energy-harvesting devices, it is crucial to understand how charge and heat are transported at the nanoscale. Metallic atomic-size contacts are ideal systems to probe the quantum…
Using a scanning tunnel microscope or mechanically controlled break junctions, atomic contacts of Au, Pt and Ir are pulled to form chains of atoms. We have recorded traces of conductance during the pulling process and averaged these for a…
We have studied the thermodynamics of isolated homopolymer chains of varying stiffness using a lattice model. A complex phase behaviour is found; phases include chain-folded `crystalline' structures, the disordered globule and the coil. It…
The thermopower and conductance of atomic-size metallic contacts have been simultaneously measured using a mechanically controllable break junction. For contacts approaching atomic dimensions, abrupt steps in the thermopower are observed…
Chain molecules play important roles in industry and in living cells. Our focus here is on distinct ways of modeling the stiffness inherent in a chain molecule. We consider three types of stiffnesses -- one yielding an energy penalty for…
The transition between gapped (semiconducting) and gapless (metallic) phases and tunability of bandgap in materials is a very lucrative yet considerably challenging goal for new-age device preparation. For bulk materials and for…
We present an analytical theory for heteropolymer deformation, as exemplified experimentally by stretching of single protein molecules. Using a mean-field replica theory, we determine phase diagrams for stress-induced unfolding of typical…
We explore the malleability of ultra-small metal nanoparticles by means of ab initio calculations. It is revealed that, when strained, such nanoparticles exhibit complex behavior, including bifurcation between slow and fast quakes of their…
Along with high strength, plasticity is what makes metals so widely usable in our material world. Both strength and plasticity properties of a metal are defined by the motion of dislocations - line defects in the crystal lattice that divide…
The metal-semiconductor (M-S) junction based devices are commonly used in all sorts of electronic devices. Their electrical properties are defined by the metallic phase properties with a respect to the semiconductor used. Here we make an…
The mechanical resistance of a polyethylene strand subject to tension and the way its properties are affected by the presence of a knot is studied using first-principles molecular dynamics calculations. The distribution of strain energy for…