Abstract
With the aid of the Friedel sum rule, we perform first-principles calculations of conductances through monatomic Na wires, taking into account the sharp tip geometry and discrete atomic structure of electrodes. We find that conductances depend on the number of atoms in the wires; is for odd , independent of the wire geometry, while is generally smaller than and sensitive to the wire structure for even . This even-odd behavior is attributed to the charge neutrality and resonant character due to the sharp tip structure. We suggest that similar even-odd behavior may appear in other monovalent atomic wires.
- Received 7 December 2000
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.096803
©2001 American Physical Society