Transmission Properties of Coupled Atomic Wires

Z. L. Miskovic, R. A. English, S. G. Davison and F. O. Goodman

Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada
N2L 3G1

Abstract:

Electron transmission properties of a configuration, consisting of two infinite monatomic chains, which are coupled to each other, by either a direct bond or through a finite atomic bridge, are studied via the tight-binding model. A method, based on the multi-channel Lippmann-Schwinger equation, is used to obtain analytical expressions for the 4x4 scattering matrix, from which transmission probabilities are calculated for several special chain configurations. In particular, we study cases where the bridge is subjected to a constant potential and an electric field, which is generated by a potential difference between the two infinite chains. The results of the theory are readily useful for qualitative evaluations of the transmission properties of simple atomic circuits and molecular switches.

last updated Sat Oct 20 00:45 EDT 2001 by RAE