Metal nanowires: atomic arrangement and electrical transport properties

We have studied the atomic arrangement. and defect formation in metal nanowires (NWs) generated by mechanical elongation using in situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It has been observed that the narrowest constriction of gold and platinum NWs is crystalline and defect-free; in particular, gold NWs adopt only three kinds of atomic arrangement. A model correlating these gold structures and the quantum conductance behaviour is proposed, which showed a remarkable agreement with ulrahigh-vacuum mechanically controllable break junction electrical transport measurements.