The quantum conductance of ballistic microconstrictions in metals with an open Fermi surface

It is shown that the conductance G of a quantum microconstriction in a metal with an open Fermi surface undergoes jumps e2/h of the opposite sign as a function of the contact diameter. The negative jumps are a result of the limitation of the energy of the electron motion along the direction in which the Fermi surface is open. The point contact spectrum dG/dV of such a constriction has additional peaks at the bias eV where the maximum energy emax of the quantum subband is equal to the energies eF±eV/2 (eF is the Fermi energy).

[1]  M. Devoret,et al.  Evidence for Saturation of Channel Transmission from Conductance Fluctuations in Atomic-Size Point Contacts , 1998, cond-mat/9810384.

[2]  Michael Tinkham,et al.  Introduction to mesoscopic physics , 1997 .

[3]  J. Sáenz,et al.  Conductance steps in point contacts: Quantization or cross-section jumps? , 1996 .

[4]  J. Ruitenbeek,et al.  The signature of conductance quantization in metallic point contacts , 1995, Nature.

[5]  Sáenz,et al.  Theory of conduction through narrow constrictions in a three-dimensional electron gas. , 1994, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[6]  Muller,et al.  One-atom point contacts. , 1993, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[7]  García,et al.  Quantum contact in gold nanostructures by scanning tunneling microscopy. , 1993, Physical review letters.

[8]  Vieira,et al.  Conductance steps and quantization in atomic-size contacts. , 1993, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[9]  Muller,et al.  Conductance and supercurrent discontinuities in atomic-scale metallic constrictions of variable width. , 1992, Physical review letters.

[10]  V. Peschansky,et al.  On galvanomagnetic effects in layered conductors , 1991 .

[11]  A. Szafer,et al.  Theory of quantum conduction through a constriction. , 1989, Physical review letters.

[12]  T. Thornton,et al.  One-dimensional transport and the quantisation of the ballistic resistance , 1988 .

[13]  Williamson,et al.  Quantized conductance of point contacts in a two-dimensional electron gas. , 1988, Physical review letters.

[14]  P. Kapitza.  The Study of the Specific Resistance of Bismuth Crystals and Its Change in Strong Magnetic Fields and Some Allied Problems , 1928 .