Carbon nanotube-clamped metal atomic chain.
Metal atomic chain (MAC) is an ultimate one-dimensional structure with unique physical properties, such as quantized conductance, colossal magnetic anisotropy, and quantized magnetoresistance. Therefore, MACs show great potential as possible components of nanoscale electronic and spintronic devices. However, MACs are usually suspended between two macroscale metallic electrodes; hence obvious technical barriers exist in the interconnection and integration of MACs. Here we report a carbon nanotube (CNT)-clamped MAC, where CNTs play the roles of both nanoconnector and electrodes. This nanostructure is prepared by in situ machining a metal-filled CNT, including peeling off carbon shells by spatially and elementally selective electron beam irradiation and further elongating the exposed metal nanorod. The microstructure and formation process of this CNT-clamped MAC are explored by both transmission electron microscopy observations and theoretical simulations. First-principles calculations indicate that strong covalent bonds are formed between the CNT and MAC. The electrical transport property of the CNT-clamped MAC was experimentally measured, and quantized conductance was observed.
Tang
Dai-Ming
DM
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China.
Yin
Li-Chang
LC
Li
Feng
F
Liu
Chang
C
Yu
Wan-Jing
WJ
Hou
Peng-Xiang
PX
Wu
Bo
B
Lee
Young-Hee
YH
Ma
Xiu-Liang
XL
Cheng
Hui-Ming
HM
D016880:Anisotropy; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004566:Electrodes; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*
D008670:Metals; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon