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We present a novel statistical method for the study of stable atomic configurations in breaking nanowires based on the 2D cross-correlation analysis of conductance versus electrode separation traces. Applying this method, we can clearly resolve the typical evolutions of the conductance staircase in some transition metal nanojunctions (Ni, Fe, V) up to high conductance values. In these metals our analysis demonstrates a very well ordered atomic narrowing of the nanowire, indicating a very regular, stepwise decrease of the number of atoms in the minimal cross section of the junction, in contrast to the majority of the metals. All these features are hidden in traditional conductance histograms., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We systematically study the influence of ferromagnetic leads on the Kondo resonance in a quantum dot tuned to the local moment regime. We employ Wilson's numerical renormalization group method, extended to handle leads with a spin asymmetric density of states, to identify the effects of (i) a finite spin polarization in the leads (at the Fermi-surface), (ii) a Stoner splitting in the bands (governed by the band edges) and (iii) an arbitrary shape of the leads density of states. For a generic lead density of states the quantum dot favors being occupied by a particular spin-species due to exchange interaction with ferromagnetic leads leading to a suppression and splitting of the Kondo resonance. The application of a magnetic field can compensate this asymmetry restoring the Kondo effect. We study both the gate-voltage dependence (for a fixed band structure in the leads) and the spin polarization dependence (for fixed gate voltage) of this compensation field for various types of bands. Interestingly, we find that the full recovery of the Kondo resonance of a quantum dot in presence of leads with an energy dependent density of states is not only possible by an appropriately tuned external magnetic field but also via an appropriately tuned gate voltage. For flat bands simple formulas for the splitting of the local level as a function of the spin polarization and gate voltage are given., Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in PRB

The effect of a gate voltage ($V_g$) on the spin-splitting of an electronic level in a quantum dot (QD) attached to ferromagnetic leads is studied in the Kondo regime using a generalized numerical renormalization group technique. We find that the $V_g$-dependence of the QD level spin-splitting strongly depends on the shape of the density of states (DOS). For one class of DOS shapes there is nearly no $V_g$-dependence, for another, $V_g$ can be used to control the magnitude and sign of the spin-splitting, which can be interpreted as a local exchange magnetic field. We find that the spin-splitting acquires a new type of logarithmic divergence. We give an analytical explanation for our numerical results and explain how they arise due to spin-dependent charge fluctuations., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures

The Kondo effect in quantum dots (QDs) - artificial magnetic impurities - attached to ferromagnetic leads is studied with the numerical renormalization group (NRG) method. It is shown that the QD level is spin-split due to presence of ferromagnetic electrodes, leading to a suppression of the Kondo effect. We find that the Kondo effect can be restored by compensating this splitting with a magnetic field. Although the resulting Kondo resonance then has an unusual spin asymmetry with a reduced Kondo temperature, the ground state is still a locally-screened state, describable by Fermi liquid theory and a generalized Friedel sum rule, and transport in the unitary limit is not spin dependent., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We study the Kondo effect in a quantum dot which is coupled to ferromagnetic leads and analyse its properties as a function of the spin polarization of the leads. Based on a scaling approach we predict that for parallel alignment of the magnetizations in the leads the strong-coupling limit of the Kondo effect is reached at a finite value of the magnetic field. Using an equation-of-motion technique we study nonlinear transport through the dot. For parallel alignment the zero-bias anomaly may be split even in the absence of an external magnetic field. For antiparallel spin alignment and symmetric coupling, the peak is split only in the presence of a magnetic field, but shows a characteristic asymmetry in amplitude and position., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures

In a recent paper Liang {\it et al.} [Nature {\bf 411}, 665 (2001)] showed experimentally, that metallic nanotubes, strongly coupled to external electrodes, may act as coherent molecular waveguides for electronic transport. The experimental results were supported by theoretical analysis based on the scattering matrix approach. In this paper we analyze theoretically this problem using a real-space approach, which makes it possible to control quality of interface contacts. Electronic structure of the nanotube is taken into account within the tight-binding model. External electrodes and the central part (sample) are assumed to be made of carbon nanotubes, while the contacts between electrodes and the sample are modeled by appropriate on-site (diagonal) and hopping (off-diagonal) parameters. Conductance is calculated by the Green function technique combined with the Landauer formalism. In the plots displaying conductance {\it vs.} bias and gate voltages, we have found typical diamond structure patterns, similar to those observed experimentally. In certain cases, however, we have found new features in the patterns, like a double-diamond sub-structure., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. To apear in Phys. Rev. B

Electron tunneling in ferromagnetic single-electron transistors is considered theoretically in the sequential tunneling regime. A new formalism is developed, which operates in a two-dimensional space of states, instead of one-dimensiona space used in the spinless case. It is shown that spin fluctuations can be significantly larger than the charge fluctuations. The influence of discrete energy spectrum of a small central electrode on tunneling current, charge and spin accumulation, charge and spin fluctuations, and on tunnel magnetoresistance is analyzed in details. Two different scales are found in the bias dependence of the basic transport characteristics; the shorter one originates from the discrete energy spectrum and the longer one from discrete charging of the central electrode. The features due to discrete spectrum and discrete charging disappear at high temperatures., Comment: RevTeX, 25 pages, 10 figures, revised and accepted by Phys. Rev. B

Spin dependent single electron tunneling in a ferromagnetic double junction is investigated theoretically in the limit of incoherent sequential tunneling. The junction consists of a small nonmagnetic metallic grain with discrete energy levels, which is connected to two ferromagnetic electrodes. We have developed a new theoretical model taking into account charge as well as spin degrees of freedom. The model allows us to investigate new phenomena such as spin accumulation and spin fluctuations., Comment: 4 page LaTeX (annalen.cls included), 2 eps-figures included.Has been presented at the international conference LOCALISATION 1999 - Disorder and Interaction in Transport Phenomena, Hamburg, Germany, 30. July - 2. August, 1999. To appear in Annalen der Physik

Frequency dependent current noise in ferromagnetic double junctions with Coulomb blockade is studied theoretically in the limit of sequential tunneling. Two different relaxation processes are found in the correlations between spin polarized tunneling currents; low frequency spin fluctuations and high frequency charge fluctuations. Spin accumulation in strongly asymmetric junctions is shown to lead to a negative differential resistance. We also show that large spin noise activated in the range of negative differential resistance gives rise to a significant enhancement of the current noise., Comment: 8 pages, 13 eps-figures included

Spin dependent single electron tunneling in ferromagnetic double junctions is analysed theoretically in the limit of sequential tunneling. The influence of discrete energy spectrum of the central electrode (island)on the spin accumulation, spin fluctuations and tunnel magnetoresistance is analysed numerically in the case of a nonmagnetic island. It is shown that spin fluctuations are significant in magnetic as well as in nonmagnetic junctions., Comment: 14 pages, 3 eps-figures included