Scattering approach to nanocohesion and conduction

The cohesive force of a nanometer-sized contact between two macroscopic pieces of metal is provided largely by the electrons which are transmitted through the contact. Such a contact acts as a wave-guide for electrons, and only certain discrete modes are transmitted, leading to quantization of the electrical conductance, and to quantum oscillations of order 1 nano-Newton in its cohesive force. See the following articles for more:

Publications

1. C. A. Stafford, D. Baeriswyl and J. Bürki,
   Jellium model of metallic nanocohesion,
   Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2863 (1997).
   
   
2. C. A. Stafford,
   Quantum theory of metallic nanocohesion,
   Physica E 1, 310 (1997).
   
   
3. F. Kassubek, C. A. Stafford and H. Grabert,
   Force, charge, and conductance of an ideal metallic nanowire,
   Phys. Rev. B 59, 7560 (1999).
   
   
4. J. Bürki, C. A. Stafford, X. Zotos, and D. Baeriswyl,
   Cohesion and conductance of disordered metallic point contacts,
   Phys. Rev. B 60, 5000 (1999).
   
   
5. J. Bürki and C. A. Stafford,
   Comment on ``Quantum Suppression of Shot Noise in Atom-Size Metallic Contacts,''
   Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3342 (1999).

6. C. A. Stafford, J. Bürki, and D. Baeriswyl,
   Comment on ``Density Functional Simulation of a Breaking Nanowire,''
   Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2548 (2000).
   
   
7. C. A. Stafford, F. Kassubek, J. Bürki, H. Grabert, and D. Baeriswyl,
   Cohesion, Conductance, and Charging Effects in a Metallic Nanocontact,
   in ``Quantum Physics at the Mesoscopic Scale,'' D. C. Glattli, M. Sanquer, and J. Tran Thanh Van eds.
   (EDP Sciences, Les Ulis, France, 2000), pp. 49-53.
   
   
8. C. A. Stafford,
   Metal Nanowires: Quantum Transport, Cohesion, and Stability,
   Phys. Stat. Sol. (b) 230, 481-489 (2002).