Abstract
We present a statistical analysis of the mechanical and transport properties of stretched Al nanowires. A molecular dynamics density functional theory is used in combination with annealing techniques to analyze a large amount of stretching processes and new realistic geometries. From these calculations, we generate a conductance histogram that is compared with the experimental evidence. New particular geometries appear frequently, and a correlation between these new structures and the peaks in the conductance histogram can be fairly established. In particular, at the first stages of the nanowire elongation, we find a configuration with Al–Al bonds oriented along the stretching direction that is related to the peak appearing at 3 G 0 in the conductance histogram. Besides, an Al–Al dimer is found in most of the cases at the nanowire neck in the last stage of the nanowire stretching, just before the breaking point; this configuration is reflected in the peak found in the conductance histogram at 1 G 0.
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