Related papers: Multiscale Modeling of a Nanoelectromechanical Shu…
Nanomechanical shuttles transferring small groups of electrons or even individual electrons from one electrode to another offer a novel approach to the problem of controlled charge transport. Here, we report the fabrication of…
Earlier theory and measurements show that nanomechanical electron shuttles can work as ratchets for radio-frequency rectification, but its performance was hard to predict so far. This paper focuses on the coupled shuttles which can…
Much interest has been drawn in recent years to the concept and realization of Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). NEMS are nanoscale devices that combine mechanical and electrical dynamics in a strong interplay. The shuttle devices are a…
The voltage dependence of nanoelectromechanical effects in a system where the quantized mechanical vibrations of a quantum dot are coupled to coherent tunneling of electrons through a single level in the dot is studied. It is found that…
A single-electron tunneling (SET) device with a nanoscale central island that can move with respect to the bulk source- and drain electrodes allows for a nanoelectromechanical (NEM) coupling between the electrical current through the device…
A nano-shuttle consisting of two metallic islands connected in series and integrated between two contacts is studied. We evaluate the electron transport through the system in the presence of a source-drain voltage with and without an RF…
Self-oscillation is a phenomenon studied across many scientific disciplines, including the engineering of efficient heat engines and electric generators. We investigate the single electron shuttle, a model nano-scale system that exhibits a…
We investigate the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of a model single-electron transistor where mechanical motion, subject to strong dissipation, of a small metallic grain is possible. The system is studied both by using Monte Carlo…
A brief review of the nanoscale free-electron model of metal nanowires is presented. This continuum description of metal nanostructures allows for a unified treatment of cohesive and conducting properties. Conductance channels act as…
Room-temperature Coulomb blockade of charge transport through composite nanostructures containing organic inter-links has recently been observed. A pronounced charging effect in combination with the softness of the molecular links implies…
We present a new semi-empirical model for calculating electron transport in atomic-scale devices. The model is an extension of the Extended H\"uckel method with a self-consistent Hartree potential. This potential models the effect of an…
Strong coupling between electronic and mechanical degrees of freedom is a basic requirement for the operation of any nanoelectromechanical device. In this Review we consider such devices and in particular investigate the properties of small…
The nanomechanical single-electron shuttle is a resonant system in which a suspended metallic island oscillates between and impacts at two electrodes. This setup holds promise for one-by-one electron transport and the establishment of an…
A quantum shuttle is an archetypical nanoelectromechanical device, where the mechanical degree of freedom is quantized. Using a full-scale numerical solution of the generalized master equation describing the shuttle, we have recently shown…
So far transport properties of nanoscale contacts have been mostly studied within the static scattering approach. The electron dynamics and the transient behavior of current flow, however, remain poorly understood. We present a numerical…
We review the properties of electron shuttles, i.e. nanoelectromechanical devices that transport electrons one-by-one by utilizing a combination of electronic and mechanical degrees of freedom. We focus on the extreme quantum limit, where…
Understanding the electron dynamics and transport in metallic and semiconductor nanostructures -- such as metallic nanoparticles, thin films, quantum wells and quantum dots -- represents a considerable challenge for today's condensed matter…
We study a simple model of a self-assembled, room temperature Coulomb-blockade nanostructure containing a metallic nanocrystal or grain connected by soft molecular links to two metallic electrodes. Self-excitation of periodic grain…
The formation and rupture of atomic-sized contacts is modelled by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Such nano-contacts are realized in scanning tunnelling microscope and mechanically controlled break junction experiments. These…
We demonstrate single electron shuttling through two coupled nanomechanical pendula. The pendula are realized as nanopillars etched out of the semiconductor substrate. Coulomb blockade is found at room temperature, allowing metrological…