ABSTRACT
Ultrathin nanowires of gold (Au) and other metals have been studied intensively, particularly from the 1990s, as a possible foundation of nano electronics (see Agraït et al. (2003) for a review). ey are fabricated as nano-meter-scale contacts within two electrode parts and are composed of a couple of atoms in their wire length and/or diameter. Monoatomic chain, the thinnest wire, was also fabricated. e metal nanowires can show quantized conductance, even at room temperature, which is completely di erent from Ohm’s law in macroscale samples. Structural and transport properties of nanowires were investigated by (1) ne experiments, such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning tunneling microscope (STM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and (2) atomistic simulations with quantum-mechanical theory of electrons. Many experiments and simulations lead us to several common understandings among metal nanowires of various elements (Agraït et al. 2003).
