title: Switching the conductance of Dy nanocontacts by magnetostriction.
abstract: The electrical conductance G of mechanical break-junctions fabricated from the rare-earth metal dysprosium has been investigated at 4.2 K where Dy is in the ferromagnetic state. In addition to the usual variation of the conductance while breaking the wire mechanically, the conductance can be changed reproducibly by variation of the magnetic field H, due to the large magnetostriction of Dy. For a number of contacts, we observe discrete changes in G(H) in the range of several G(0) = 2e(2)/h. The behavior of G(H) and its angular dependence can be quantitatively understood by taking into account the magnetostrictive properties of Dy. This realization of a magnetostrictive few-atom switch demonstrates the possibility of reproducibly tuning the conductance of magnetic nanocontacts by a magnetic field.
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montbrun
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marz
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sürgers
authors.forename: Hilbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: v Löhneysen
mesh_terms: D004419:Dysprosium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010316:Particle Size; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D004419:Dysprosium