TY - JOUR
T1 - Theory of metastability in simple metal nanowires
AU - Bürki, J.
AU - Stafford, C. A.
AU - Stein, D. L.
PY - 2005/8/26
Y1 - 2005/8/26
N2 - Thermally induced conductance jumps of metal nanowires are modeled using stochastic Ginzburg-Landau field theories. Changes in radius are predicted to occur via the nucleation of surface kinks at the wire ends, consistent with recent electron microscopy studies. The activation rate displays nontrivial dependence on nanowire length, and undergoes first- or second-order-like transitions as a function of length. The activation barriers of the most stable structures are predicted to be universal, i.e., independent of the radius of the wire, and proportional to the square root of the surface tension. The reduction of the activation barrier under strain is also determined.
AB - Thermally induced conductance jumps of metal nanowires are modeled using stochastic Ginzburg-Landau field theories. Changes in radius are predicted to occur via the nucleation of surface kinks at the wire ends, consistent with recent electron microscopy studies. The activation rate displays nontrivial dependence on nanowire length, and undergoes first- or second-order-like transitions as a function of length. The activation barriers of the most stable structures are predicted to be universal, i.e., independent of the radius of the wire, and proportional to the square root of the surface tension. The reduction of the activation barrier under strain is also determined.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.090601
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.090601
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:27144453318
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 95
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 9
M1 - 090601
ER -