Electronic properties of ultra-thin aluminum nanowires

We have carried out first-principles electronic structure and total energy calculations for a series of ultrathin aluminum nanowires, based on structures obtained by relaxing the model wires of Gulseren et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80 (1998) 3775]. The number of conducting channels is followed as the wires radius is increased. The results suggest that pentagonal wires should be detectable, as the only ones who can yield a channel number between 8 and 10.