Conduction channels of one-atom zinc contacts

Abstract

We have determined the transmission coefficients of atomic-sized Zn contacts using a different type of breakjunction, which contains a whisker as a central bridge. We find that in the last conductance plateau the transport is unexpectedly dominated by a well-transmitting single conduction channel. We explain the experimental findings with the help of a tight-binding model that shows that in a one-atom Zn contact the current proceeds through the 4s and 4p orbitals of the central atom. © 2004 The American Physical Society.