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FRI: Friday Contributed Sessions
FRI 12: Quantum Phenomena in Solid-State Devices
FRI 12.7: Talk
Friday, September 12, 2025, 12:15–12:30, ZHG105
Atomic-size contacts obtained from lithographically fabricated electrodes using electromigration at room temperature in ambient condition and under vacuum — •Samanwita Biswas1, Werner Wirges1, Thomas Hultzsch1, Marcel Strohmeier2, Annika Zuschlag2, Sarah Loebner1, Dieter Neher1, Elke Scheer2, and Regina Hoffmann-Vogel1 — 1University of Potsdam — 2University of Konstanz
Developing tunable yet stable atomic junctions for molecular electronics has always been challenging. The standard electrode material for molecular electronics is Au because of its electronic simplicity and resistance to chemical reaction making it easy to use. Pd, with its d-bands contributing to the charge transport and its relatively low Fermi energy is interesting for establishing good electrical contact to low-dimensional materials. In our study we explore the charge transport of electron beam lithography patterned Pd nanocontacts with a width of about 100nm.Via electromigration (EM) we have further narrowed them down to a cross section of few atoms and eventually reaching also the one atomic contact limit. We have conducted EM in nitrogen atmosphere in a glove box and under vacuum. The experiments under vacuum have been performed using a mechanically controlled break junction setup in combination. Atomic force microscope and scanning electron microscope measurements indicate successful EM. The conductance histograms from both experiments show comparable results.
Keywords: Quantum transport; Low dimensional material; Molecular eletronics; Electromigration; Electron beam lithography