Electrochemical Fabrication of Metallic Quantum Wires

As materials shrink in size, quantum effects become increasingly important. One such phenomenon is conductance quantization in metal nanowires. These nanowires can be fabricated using relatively simple electrodeposition and etching methods, and the quantum phenomenon can be observed and studied in water or electrolytes at room temperature. We provide here an overview of basic quantum-transport concepts, such as the characteristic lengths and the transition between classical and quantum regimes when the materials dimensions are reduced below the characteristic lengths. We also describe how to fabricate such metal nanowires using electrochemical methods and discuss possible applications using the quantum wires.