Supershell structure in alkali metal nanowires
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Ultrahigh Density Array of Vertically Aligned Small-molecular Organic Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates
Published on: June 18, 2013
A I Yanson1, I K Yanson, van Ruitenbeek JM
1Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Universiteit Leiden, Postbus 9504, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Nanowires are formed by indenting and subsequently retracting two pieces of sodium metal. Their cross section gradually reduces upon retraction and the diameters can be obtained from the conductance. In previous work we have demonstrated that when one constructs a histogram of diameters from large numbers of indentation-retraction cycles such histograms show a periodic pattern of stable nanowire diameters due to shell structure in the conductance modes. Here, we report the observation of a modulation of this periodic pattern, in agreement with predictions of a supershell structure.
Related Concept Videos
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Alkali Metals
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals

