Mechanical properties and formation mechanisms of a wire of single gold atoms - art. no. 026101

A scanning tunneling microscope supplemented with a force sensor is used to study the mechanical properties of a novel metallic nanostructure: a freel y suspended chain of single gold atoms. We find that the bond strength of t he nanowire is about twice that of a bulk metallic bond. We perform ab init io calculations of the force at chain fracture and compare quantitatively w ith experimental measurements. The observed mechanical failure and nanoelas tic processes involved during atomic wire fabrication are investigated usin g molecular dynamics simulations, and we find that the total effective stif fness of the nanostructure is strongly affected by the detailed local atomi c arrangement at the chain bases.