Current induced surface diffusion on a single-crystalline silver nanowire
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Updated: May 22, 2026
Evaluating Plasmonic Transport in Current-carrying Silver Nanowires
Published on: December 11, 2013
M R Kaspers1, A M Bernhart, C A Bobisch
1Faculty of Physics, Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Scanning tunnelling microscopy was used to study the morphological changes of the surface of a single-crystalline silver nanowire caused by a lateral electron current. At current densities of about 1.5 × 10(7) A cm(-2), surface atoms are extracted from step edges, resulting in the motion of surface steps, islands and holes with a thickness or depth of one monolayer. Upon current reversal the direction of the material transport can be altered. The findings are interpreted in terms of the wind force.
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