Microscopic Current Dynamics in Nanoscale Junctions

Details Microscopic Current Dynamics in Nanoscale Junctions Microscopic Current Dynamics in Nanoscale Junctions

2007-01-26

arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0701634v1

Phys. Rev. B 75, 115410 (2007)

Physics

Condensed Matter

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

8 pages, 5 figures; Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevB.75.115410

So far transport properties of nanoscale contacts have been mostly studied within the static scattering approach. The electron dynamics and the transient behavior of current flow, however, remain poorly understood. We present a numerical study of microscopic current flow dynamics in nanoscale quantum point contacts. We employ an approach that combines a microcanonical picture of transport with time-dependent density-functional theory. We carry out atomic and jellium model calculations to show that the time evolution of the current flow exhibits several noteworthy features, such as nonlaminarity and edge flow. We attribute these features to the interaction of the electron fluid with the ionic lattice, to the existence of pressure gradients in the fluid, and to the transient dynamical formation of surface charges at the nanocontact-electrode interfaces. Our results suggest that quantum transport systems exhibit hydrodynamical characteristics which resemble those of a classical liquid.

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