We report on a self-consistent ab initio technique for modeling quantum transport properties of atomic and molecular scale nanoelectronic devices under external bias potentials. The technique is based on density functional theory using norm conserving nonlocal pseudopotentials to define the atomic core and nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGF's) to calculate the charge distribution. The modeling of an open device system is reduced to a calculation defined on a finite region of space using a screening approximation. The interaction between the device scattering region and the electrodes is accounted for by self-energies within the NEGF formalism. Our technique overcomes several difficulties of doing first principles modeling of open molecular quantum coherent conductors. We apply this technique to investigate single wall carbon nanotubes in contact with an Al metallic electrode. We have studied the current-voltage characteristics of the nanotube-metal interface from first principles. Our results suggest that there are two transmission eigenvectors contributing to the ballistic conductance of the interface, with a total conductance $G\ensuremath{\approx}{G}_{0}$ where ${G}_{0}{=2e}^{2}/h$ is the conductance quanta. This is about half of the expected value for infinite perfect metallic nanotubes.
Ab initio modeling of quantum transport properties of molecular electronic devices
Jeremy Taylor,Hong Guo,Jian Wang
Published 2001 in Physical Review B
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2001
- Venue
Physical Review B
- Publication date
2001-06-01
- Fields of study
Physics, Engineering
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- al metallic electrode
The aluminum contact electrode used to couple the nanotube to the external leads.
Aliases: aluminum metallic electrode, Al contact
- ballistic conductance
The conductance regime of the interface when carriers traverse the device without inelastic scattering.
Aliases: ballistic transport conductance
- density functional theory
An electronic-structure method used here to describe the device and contact electronic states at the atomic scale.
Aliases: DFT
- nonequilibrium green's functions
A quantum transport formalism used to calculate charge flow and charge distribution under applied bias.
Aliases: NEGF, nonequilibrium Green functions
- screening approximation
A finite-region approximation that confines the open-device calculation to a screened scattering region.
Aliases: screened region approximation
- single wall carbon nanotubes
The one-dimensional carbon nanotube devices studied as the transport system in the application.
Aliases: SWCNTs, single-walled carbon nanotubes
- transmission eigenvectors
Current-carrying eigenchannels of the nanotube-electrode interface that describe how transmission is partitioned among modes.
Aliases: transmission channels, eigenchannels
REFERENCES
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