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Title: Electron Turbulence at Nanoscale Junctions

Abstract

Electron transport through a nanostructure can be characterized in part using concepts from classical fluid dynamics. Hence, it is natural to ask how far the analogy can be taken and whether the electron liquid can exhibit nonlinear dynamical effects such as turbulence. Here we present an ab initio study of the electron dynamics in nanojunctions which reveals that the latter indeed exhibits behavior quite similar to that of a classical fluid. In particular, we find that a transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs with increasing current, corresponding to increasing Reynolds numbers. These findings reveal unexpected features of electron dynamics and shed new light on our understanding of transport properties of nanoscale systems.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
  2. College of Wooster, Wooster, OH (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1512886
Report Number(s):
SAND2015-6062J
Journal ID: ISSN 1530-6984; 667153
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nano Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1530-6984
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS

Citation Formats

Bushong, Neil, Gamble, John, and Di Ventra, Massimiliano. Electron Turbulence at Nanoscale Junctions. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1021/nl070935e.
Bushong, Neil, Gamble, John, & Di Ventra, Massimiliano. Electron Turbulence at Nanoscale Junctions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl070935e
Bushong, Neil, Gamble, John, and Di Ventra, Massimiliano. Mon . "Electron Turbulence at Nanoscale Junctions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl070935e. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1512886.
@article{osti_1512886,
title = {Electron Turbulence at Nanoscale Junctions},
author = {Bushong, Neil and Gamble, John and Di Ventra, Massimiliano},
abstractNote = {Electron transport through a nanostructure can be characterized in part using concepts from classical fluid dynamics. Hence, it is natural to ask how far the analogy can be taken and whether the electron liquid can exhibit nonlinear dynamical effects such as turbulence. Here we present an ab initio study of the electron dynamics in nanojunctions which reveals that the latter indeed exhibits behavior quite similar to that of a classical fluid. In particular, we find that a transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs with increasing current, corresponding to increasing Reynolds numbers. These findings reveal unexpected features of electron dynamics and shed new light on our understanding of transport properties of nanoscale systems.},
doi = {10.1021/nl070935e},
journal = {Nano Letters},
number = 6,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1 FIG. 1: (Color online) Panels (a)-(d): Electron current density for electrons moving from the top electrode to the bottom electrode across a nanojunction at t = 1.4 fs, for an initial bias of (a) 0.02 V, (b) 0.2 V, (c) 1.0 V and (d) 3.0 V. The arrows denote themore » current density, while the level sets denote the curl of the 2D current density. The solid lines delimit the contour of the junction. Panels (e)-(h): Velocity field solution of the equations (1), for a liquid with same velocity, density and viscosity as the quantum mechanical one.« less

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Communication: Gibbs phenomenon and the emergence of the steady-state in quantum transport
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