The lowest conductance step for a Ni nanocontact is anomalously small in comparison with the large expected number of conducting channels. We present electronic structure calculations for an extremely idealized Ni nanobridge consisting of just a monatomic nanowire. Our calculations show that no less than eight single spin bands cross the Fermi level in a nonmagnetic Ni monatomic wire, dropping marginally to seven in the more stable, fully ferromagnetic state. However, when we build in the wire a magnetization reversal, or domain wall, by forcing the net magnetization to be zero, we suddenly find that d-electrons selectively cease to propagate across the wall. s-electron propagation remains, and can account for the small observed conductance steps. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective d-state conduction blocking in nickel nanocontacts / Smogunov, A; Dal Corso, Andrea; Tosatti, Erio. - In: SURFACE SCIENCE. - ISSN 0039-6028. - 507:(2002), pp. 609-614. [10.1016/S0039-6028(02)01323-7]

Selective d-state conduction blocking in nickel nanocontacts

Dal Corso, Andrea;Tosatti, Erio
2002-01-01

Abstract

The lowest conductance step for a Ni nanocontact is anomalously small in comparison with the large expected number of conducting channels. We present electronic structure calculations for an extremely idealized Ni nanobridge consisting of just a monatomic nanowire. Our calculations show that no less than eight single spin bands cross the Fermi level in a nonmagnetic Ni monatomic wire, dropping marginally to seven in the more stable, fully ferromagnetic state. However, when we build in the wire a magnetization reversal, or domain wall, by forcing the net magnetization to be zero, we suddenly find that d-electrons selectively cease to propagate across the wall. s-electron propagation remains, and can account for the small observed conductance steps. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
2002
507
609
614
PII S0039-6028(02)01323-7
Smogunov, A; Dal Corso, Andrea; Tosatti, Erio
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11767/12596
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