Electronic Properties of Ultra-Thin Aluminum Nanowires

We have carried out first principles electronic structure and total energy calculations for a series of ultrathin aluminum nanowires, based on structures obtained by relaxing the model wires of Gulseren et al [1]. The number of conducting channels is followed as the wires radius is increased. The results suggest that pentagonal wires should be detectable, as the only ones who can yield a channel number between 8 and 10.