Berlin 2008 – scientific programme
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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen
TT 22: Transport: Poster Session
TT 22.29: Poster
Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 14:00–18:00, Poster B
Switching Dy break junctions by a magnetic field — •Marc Müller1, Richard Montbrun1, Christoph Sürgers1,2, and Hilbert v. Löhneysen1,2,3 — 1Physikalisches Institut, Universität Karlsruhe, D-76128 Karlsruhe — 2Center for Functional Nanostructures, Universität Karlsruhe, D-76128 Karlsruhe — 3Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Festkörperphysik, D-76021 Karlsruhe
In search for conductance steps in rare-earth-metal atomic contacts, we study the low-temperature electronic transport properties of mechanically controlled Dy break junctions. The junctions are prepared from Dy wires cut from a dentritic polycrystal which are broken in-situ by means of a three-point bending mechanism. Magnetic fields are applied along the wire axis. In a mechanically pre-adjusted and fixed position of the two electrodes, the contact can be reproducibly opened and closed by variation of the applied magnetic field. The switching, i.e. the change in resistance vs. contact distance, shows a hysteretic behavior and presumably arises from the large magnetostriction of ferromagnetic Dy. Preliminary measurements show steps in the conductance-distance characteristics which are, however, much larger than one conductance quantum G0 = 2e2/h.