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Strong-coupling effects alter the polaritonic states of metal–dielectric nanostructures and, therefore, can be used to tailor the response of infrared (IR) photonic elements. We report on the devel...

Nowadays, sub-50 meV atom-wide electron probes are routinely produced for electron energy loss spectroscopy in transmission electron microscopes due to monochromator technology advances. We review how gradual improvements in energy resolution enabled the study of very low-energy excitations such as lattice phonons, molecular vibrations, infrared plasmons and strongly coupled hybrid modes in nanomaterials. Starting with the theoretical framework needed to treat inelastic electron scattering from phonons in solids, we illustrate contributions in detecting optical surface phonons in photonic structures. We discuss phonon mapping capabilities in real and reciprocal space, and the localized phonon response near nano-/atomic-scale structural features. We also survey the progress of aloof spectroscopy in studying vibrations in organic materials and applications in measuring local temperature and photonic density of states in single nanostructures using phonon scattering. We then turn towards studies on infrared plasmons in metals and semiconductors. Spectroscopy analyses now extend towards probing extremely complex broadband platforms, the effects of defects and nanogaps, and some far-reaching investigations towards uncovering plasmon lifetime and 3D photonic density of states. In doped semiconductors, we review research on the use of the electron probe to correlate local doping concentration and atomic-scale defects with the plasmonic response. Finally, we discuss advances in studying strong coupling phenomena in plasmon–exciton and plasmon–phonon systems. Overall, the wealth of information gained extends our knowledge about nanomaterial properties and elementary excitations, illustrating the powerful capabilities of high-energy resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy–electron energy loss spectrometry.

Refinements in energy monochromation and aberration correction in state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscopes has opened access to the far infrared regime for spectroscopic characterization at the nanoscale. At these low energies, the dielectric environment, such as a dielectric slab adjacent to the target specimen, may no longer play a passive role in the spectrum. Instead, the environment may itself host resonances that mix with those of the target and complicate interpretation of its spectral responses. This paper explores a theoretical description of the coupling between the collective vibrational surface modes of a dielectric particle and dielectric slab of varying thickness for the purpose of elucidating the interacting phononic excitations in dielectric materials typical of inelastic electron scattering measurements in the infrared. Dynamical coordinates and a governing Hamiltonian are rigorously defined in the quasistatic limit to account for phonon mode mixing and forcing by an aloof electron probe, which travels along a grazing trajectory, parallel to the dielectric slab. As the spectral window of interrogation by fast electron probes has been extended down to thermal energies with unprecedented meV energy resolution, theoretical models like that presented herein are crucial for accurate interpretation of experimental data.

Pnictogens have multiple allotropic forms resulting from their ns2 np3 valence electronic configuration, making them the only elemental materials to crystallize in layered van der Waals (vdW) and quasi-vdW structures throughout the group. Light group VA elements are found in the layered orthorhombic A17 phase such as black phosphorus, and can transition to the layered rhombohedral A7 phase at high pressure. On the other hand, bulk heavier elements are only stable in the A7 phase. Herein, we demonstrate that these two phases not only co-exist during the vdW growth of antimony on weakly interacting surfaces, but also undertake a spontaneous transformation from the A17 phase to the thermodynamically stable A7 phase. This metastability of the A17 phase is revealed by real-time studies unraveling its thickness-driven transition to the A7 phase and the concomitant evolution of its electronic properties. At a critical thickness of ~4 nm, A17 antimony undergoes a diffusionless shuffle transition from AB to AA stacked alpha-antimonene followed by a gradual relaxation to the A7 bulk-like phase. Furthermore, the electronic structure of this intermediate phase is found to be determined by surface self-passivation and the associated competition between A7- and A17-like bonding in the bulk. These results highlight the critical role of the atomic structure and interfacial interactions in shaping the stability and electronic characteristics of vdW layered materials, thus enabling a new degree of freedom to engineer their properties using scalable processes.

Gold nanostars display exceptional field enhancement properties and tunable resonant modes that can be leveraged to create effective imaging tags or phototherapeutic agents, or to design novel hot-electron based photocatalysts. From a fundamental standpoint, they represent important tunable platforms to study the dependence of hot carrier energy and dynamics on plasmon band intensity and position. Toward the realization of these platforms, holistic approaches taking into account both theory and experiments to study the fundamental behavior of theseparticles are needed. Arguably, the intrinsic difficulties underlying this goal stem from the inability to rationally design and effectively synthesize nanoparticles that are sufficiently monodispersed to be employed for corroborations of the theoretical results without the need of single particle experiments. Herein, we report on our concerted computational and experimental effort to design, synthesize, and explain the origin and morphology-dependence of the plasmon modes of a novel gold nanostar system, with an approach that builds upon the well-known plasmon hybridization model. We have synthesized monodispersed samples of gold nanostars with finely tunable morphology employing seed-mediated colloidal protocols, and experimentally observed narrow and spectrally resolved harmonics of the primary surface plasmon resonance mode both at the single particle level (via electron energy loss spectroscopy) and in ensemble (by UV-Vis and ATR-FTIR spectroscopies). Computational results on complex anisotropic gold nanostructures are validated experimentally on samples prepared colloidally, underscoring their importance as ideal testbeds for the study of structure-property relationships in colloidal nanostructures of high structural complexity.

Using spatially resolved Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy, we investigate the excitation of long-wavelength surface optical vibrational modes in elementary types of nanostructures: an amorphous SiO2 slab, an MgO cube, and in the composite cube/slab system. We find rich sets of optical vibrational modes strongly constrained by the nanoscale size and geometry. For slabs, we find two surface resonances resulting from the excitation of surface phonon polariton modes. For cubes, we obtain three main highly localized corner, edge, and face resonances. The response of those surface phonon resonances can be described in terms of eigenmodes of the cube and we show that the corresponding mode pattern is recovered in the spatially resolved EELS maps. For the composite cube/substrate system we find that interactions between the two basic structures are weak, producing minor spectral shifts and intensity variations (transparency behaviour), particularly for the MgO-derived modes.

Spatial mapping of optical and acoustic, bulk and surface vibrational modes in magnesium oxide nanocubes is demonstrated using a single electron probe. The vibrational excitations of nanostructures have a fundamental effect on their suitability for various electronic, optical and thermal applications. Maureen Lagos and colleagues probe these excitations, using state-of-the-art electron microscopy to map the vibrational modes both at the surface and within the body of individual nanoparticles. Such information not only contributes to our knowledge of these fundamental vibrational modes, but will also be valuable for the design and optimization of nanostructures for practical use. Imaging of vibrational excitations in and near nanostructures is essential for developing low-loss infrared nanophotonics1, controlling heat transport in thermal nanodevices2,3, inventing new thermoelectric materials4 and understanding nanoscale energy transport. Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy has previously been used to image plasmonic behaviour in nanostructures in an electron microscope5,6, but hitherto it has not been possible to map vibrational modes directly in a single nanostructure, limiting our understanding of phonon coupling with photons7 and plasmons8. Here we present spatial mapping of optical and acoustic, bulk and surface vibrational modes in magnesium oxide nanocubes using an atom-wide electron beam. We find that the energy and the symmetry of the surface polariton phonon modes depend on the size of the nanocubes, and that they are localized to the surfaces of the nanocube. We also observe a limiting of bulk phonon scattering in the presence of surface phonon modes. Most phonon spectroscopies are selectively sensitive to either surface or bulk excitations; therefore, by demonstrating the excitation of both bulk and surface vibrational modes using a single probe, our work represents advances in the detection and visualization of spatially confined surface and bulk phonons in nanostructures.

Alloying in group V 2D materials and heterostructures is an effective degree of freedom to tailor and enhance their physical properties. Up to date, black arsenic-phosphorus is the only 2D group V alloy that has been experimentally achieved by exfoliation, leaving all other possible alloys in the realm of theoretical predictions. Herein, the existence of an additional alloy consisting of 2D antimony arsenide (2D-Asx Sb1- x ) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on group IV semiconductor substrates and graphene is demonstrated. The atomic mixing of As and Sb in the lattice of the grown 2D layers is confirmed by low-energy electron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The As content in 2D-Asx Sb1- x is shown to depend linearly on the As4 /Sb4 deposition rate ratio and As concentrations up to 15 at% are reached. The grown 2D alloys are found to be stable in ambient conditions in a timescale of weeks but to oxidize after longer exposure to air. This study lays the groundwork for a better control of the growth and alloying of group V 2D materials, which is critical to study their basic physical properties and integrate them in novel applications.

International audience; Single atom catalysts provide exceptional activity. However, measuring the intrinsic catalytic activity of a single atom in real electrochemical environments is challenging. Here, we report the activity of a single vacancy for electrocatalytically evolving hydrogen in two-dimensional (2D) MoS2. Surprisingly, we find that the catalytic activity per vacancy is not constant but increases with its concentration, reaching a sudden peak in activity at 5.7 x 10(14) cm(-2) where the intrinsic turn over frequency and Tafel slope of a single atomic vacancy was found to be similar to 5 s(-1) and 44 mV/dec, respectively. At this vacancy concentration, we also find a local strain of similar to 3% and a semiconductor to metal transition in 2D MoS2. Our results suggest that, along with increasing the number of active sites, engineering the local strain and electrical conductivity of catalysts is essential in increasing their activity.

Gold nanostars display exceptional field enhancement properties and tunable resonant modes that can be leveraged to create effective imaging tags or phototherapeutic agents, or to design novel hot-electron based photocatalysts. From a fundamental standpoint, they represent important tunable platforms to study the dependence of hot carrier energy and dynamics on plasmon band intensity and position. Toward the realization of these platforms, holistic approaches taking into account both theory and experiments to study the fundamental behavior of theseparticles are needed. Arguably, the intrinsic difficulties underlying this goal stem from the inability to rationally design and effectively synthesize nanoparticles that are sufficiently monodispersed to be employed for corroborations of the theoretical results without the need of single particle experiments. Herein, we report on our concerted computational and experimental effort to design, synthesize, and explain the origin and morphology-dependence of the plasmon modes of a novel gold nanostar system, with an approach that builds upon the well-known plasmon hybridization model. We have synthesized monodispersed samples of gold nanostars with finely tunable morphology employing seed-mediated colloidal protocols, and experimentally observed narrow and spectrally resolved harmonics of the primary surface plasmon resonance mode both at the single particle level (via electron energy loss spectroscopy) and in ensemble (by UV-Vis and ATR-FTIR spectroscopies). Computational results on complex anisotropic gold nanostructures are validated experimentally on samples prepared colloidally, underscoring their importance as ideal testbeds for the study of structure-property relationships in colloidal nanostructures of high structural complexity.

We measure phonon energy gain and loss down to 20 meV in a single nanostructure using an atom-wide monochromatic electron beam. We show that the bulk and surface, energy loss and energy gain processes obey the principle of detailed balancing in nanostructured systems at thermal equilibrium. By plotting the logarithm of the ratio of the loss and gain bulk/surface scattering as a function of the excitation energy, we find a linear behavior, expected from detailed balance arguments. Since that universal linearity scales with the inverse of the nanosystem temperature only, we can measure the temperature of the probed object with precision down to about 1 K without reference to the nanomaterial. We also show that subnanometer spatial resolution (down to ∼2 Å) can be obtained using highly localized acoustic phonon scattering. The surface phonon polariton signal can also be used to measure the temperature near the nanostructure surfaces, but with unavoidable averaging over several nanometers. Comparison between transmission and aloof probe configurations suggests that our method exhibits noninvasive characteristics. Our work demonstrates the validity of the principle of detailed balancing within nanoscale materials at thermal equilibrium, and it describes a transparent method to measure nanoscale temperature, thus representing an advance in the development of a noninvasive method for measurements with angstrom resolution.

In a recent paper [Lagos et al., Nature (London) 543, 533 (2017)] we have used electron energy loss spectroscopy with sub-10 meV energy and atomic spatial resolution to map optical and acoustic, bulk and surface vibrational modes in magnesium oxide nanocubes. We found that a local dielectric description works well for the simulation of aloof geometries, similar to related work for surface plasmons and surface plasmon polaritons, while for intersecting geometries such a description fails to reproduce the rich spectral features associated with excitation of bulk acoustic and optical phonons. To account for scatterings with a finite momentum exchange, in this paper we investigate molecular and lattice dynamics simulations of bulk losses in magnesium-oxide nanocubes using a rigid-ion description and investigate the loss spectra for intersecting electron beams. From our analysis we can evaluate the capability of electron energy loss spectroscopy for the investigation of phonon modes at the nanoscale, and we discuss shortcomings of our simplified approach as well as directions for future investigations.

Site selective doping of aligned carbon nanostructures represents a promising approach for their implementation in actual devices. In the present work we report on alkali metals decoration on low density vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, disclosing the possibility of engineering site selective depositions of potassium atoms on the carbon systems. Photoemission measurements were combined with microscopy demonstrating the effective spatial control of alkali deposition. The changes of electronic structures of locally doped carbon regions were studied by exploiting the ability of the scanning photoemission microscopy technique. From the analysis of experimental data supported by theoretical calculations, we show the tuning of the charge transfer from potassium to carbon atoms belonging to neighboring nanotubes or along the same tube structure.

Vibrational spectroscopies using infrared radiation, Raman scattering, neutrons, low-energy electrons and inelastic electron tunnelling are powerful techniques that can analyse bonding arrangements, identify chemical compounds and probe many other important properties of materials. The spatial resolution of these spectroscopies is typically one micrometre or more, although it can reach a few tens of nanometres or even a few ångströms when enhanced by the presence of a sharp metallic tip. If vibrational spectroscopy could be combined with the spatial resolution and flexibility of the transmission electron microscope, it would open up the study of vibrational modes in many different types of nanostructures. Unfortunately, the energy resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy performed in the electron microscope has until now been too poor to allow such a combination. Recent developments that have improved the attainable energy resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope to around ten millielectronvolts now allow vibrational spectroscopy to be carried out in the electron microscope. Here we describe the innovations responsible for the progress, and present examples of applications in inorganic and organic materials, including the detection of hydrogen. We also demonstrate that the vibrational signal has both high- and low-spatial-resolution components, that the first component can be used to map vibrational features at nanometre-level resolution, and that the second component can be used for analysis carried out with the beam positioned just outside the sample--that is, for 'aloof' spectroscopy that largely avoids radiation damage.

The success of aberration correction techniques at the end of the 20th century came at a time of increasing need for atomic resolution imaging to better understand known structural defects that influence semiconductor device operation, and to advance the search for new structures and behavior that will form the basis for devices in the future. With this in mind, it is a pleasure to recognize the contributions of Ondrej Krivanek to the success of aberration correction techniques, and his extension of aberration techniques to EELS equipment that further promises to unite structural studies with characterization of behavior from meV to keV energies in the STEM.

We report time-dependent calculations of attosecond and femtosecond forces imposed by a kilovolt swift electron during passage near a nanometer-sized metal particle. Contrary to expectations based on dielectric theory, which suggest that the forces should always be attractive, we find that for very close approaches, attosecond forces are repulsive, and are caused by interaction of the magnetic field of the relativistic electron with currents within even nominally nonmagnetic nanoparticles. These results suggest an explanation for the observation of both attractive and repulsive nanoparticle movement during the first use of Ångstrom-sized electron beams in electron microscopy., M.J.L. and P.E.B. acknowledge support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. DE-SC0005132. J.A., A.K., and P.M.E. acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO under the Project FIS2013-41184-P. A.R.C. acknowledges financial support from DGAPA/PAPIIT-UNAM project, Grant IA105015.

The excellent catalytic activity of metallic MoS2 edges for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has led to substantial efforts towards increasing the edge concentration. The 2H basal plane is less active for the HER because it is less conducting and therefore possesses less efficient charge transfer kinetics. Here we show that the activity of the 2H basal planes of monolayer MoS2 nanosheets can be made comparable to state-of-the-art catalytic properties of metallic edges and the 1T phase by improving the electrical coupling between the substrate and the catalyst so that electron injection from the electrode and transport to the catalyst active site is facilitated. Phase-engineered low-resistance contacts on monolayer 2H-phase MoS2 basal plane lead to higher efficiency of charge injection in the nanosheets so that its intrinsic activity towards the HER can be measured. We demonstrate that onset potentials and Tafel slopes of ∼-0.1 V and ∼50 mV per decade can be achieved from 2H-phase catalysts where only the basal plane is exposed. We show that efficient charge injection and the presence of naturally occurring sulfur vacancies are responsible for the observed increase in catalytic activity of the 2H basal plane. Our results provide new insights into the role of contact resistance and charge transport on the performance of two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheet catalysts for the HER.

We have studied structural and electrical behavior of gold nanowires generated by mechanical elongation at liquid nitrogen temperature. Real-time observations using a low temperature sample holder in a high resolution transmission electron microscopy and, an ultra-high-vacuum compatible mechanically controllable break junction modified to cool the sample region have been used. It has been observed that the narrowest region of gold constrictions is crystalline and defect-free at room temperature, but this pattern is quite different at 150 K. Extended defects (e.g. twins) generate defective nanometer constrictions, indicating a very different structural evolution pattern during stretching. The generation of different atomic arrangements can be also deduced from transport measurements at low temperature. Finally, one-atom-size nanowires seem to be more stable at 150 K, as revealed by very long conductance plateaus at one quantum of conductance (lasting ∼5–10 times longer than at room temperature).

We report here an atomistic study of the mechanical deformation of AuxCu(1-x) atomic-size wires (NWs) by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) experiments. Molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out in order to obtain deeper insights on the dynamical properties of stretched NWs. The mechanical properties are significantly dependent on the chemical composition that evolves in time at the junction; some structures exhibit a remarkable de-alloying behavior. Also, our results represent the first experimental realization of mixed linear atomic chains (LACs) among transition and noble metals; in particular, surface energies induce chemical gradients on NW surfaces that can be exploited to control the relative LAC compositions (different number of gold and copper atoms). The implications of these results for nanocatalysis and spin transport of one-atom-thick metal wires are addressed., Comment: Accepted to Journal of Applied Physics (JAP)

In this work we have studied the importance of thermal effects on the structural and transport properties of Ag atomic-size nanowires (NWs) generated by mechanical stretching. Our study involve time-resolved atomic high resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and quantum conductance measurement using an ultra-high-vacuum mechanically controllable break junction combined with quantum transport calculations. We have observed drastic changes in conductance and structural properties of Ag NWs generated at different temperatures (150 and 300 K). By combining electron microscopy images, electronic transport measurements and theoretical modeling, we have been able to establish a consistent correlation between the conductance and structural properties of Ag NWs. In particular, our study has revealed the formation of metastable rectangular rod-like Ag wires along the [001] crystallographic direction.

International audience; Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (v-MWCNTs) are functionalized using atomic oxygen generated in a microwave plasma. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile analysis shows that the plasma treatment effectively grafts oxygen exclusively at the v-MWCNT tips. Electron microscopy shows that neither the vertical alignment nor the structure of v-MWCNTs were affected by the plasma treatment. Density functional calculations suggest assignment of XPS C 1s peaks at 286.6 and 287.5 eV, to epoxy and carbonyl functional groups, respectively.

1 Institute of Advanced Materials, Devices and Nanotechnology, Rutgers University, New Jersey USA. 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, New Jersey USA. 3 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers University, New Jersey USA. 4 Instituto de Fisica, Benemerita Universidad Autόnoma de Puebla, Puebla Mexico. 5 Donostia International Physics Center of Physics, San Sebastian Spain.

Face centered cubic metals deform mainly by propagating partial dislocations generating planar fault ribbons. How do metals deform if the size is smaller than the fault ribbons? We studied the elongation of Au and Pt nanorods by in situ electron microscopy and ab initio calculations. Planar fault activation barriers are so low that, for each temperature, a minimal rod size is required to become active for releasing elastic energy. Surface effects dominate deformation energetics; system size and shape determine the preferred fault gliding directions which induce different tensile and compressive behavior.

Recently, Lagos et al. [Nature Nanotech. 4, 149 (2009)] reported the discovery of the smallest possible Ag nanotube with a square cross section. Ab initio density functional theory calculations strongly support that the stability of these hollow structures is structurally intrinsic and not the result of contamination by light atoms. We also report the first experimental observation of the theoretically predicted corrugation of the hollow structure. Quantum conductance calculations predict a unique signature of 3.6 G0 for this new family of nanotubes.

The atomic arrangement of nanosystems may be quite different from the traditional materials; surface energy minimization plays a dominant role in this size range, and accounts for many of these new structures. Graphitic nanotubes [1] represent the best example, being fromed by a rolled the graphitic layer, which is tradionally flat. Subsequently the rolling of the compact (111) atomic planes was reported for gold nanowires (NW) generated by mechanical stretching [2]. But, we may expect many more surprises from the interplay between atomic and electronic structure.

The study of atomic-size metal nanowires (NW’s) is attracting a great interest due to occurrence a novel physical and chemical phenomena. Among these new phenomena, we can mention conductance quantization that will certainly influence the design of nanodevices. NW’s are usually generated by mechanical deformation and the conductance is measured during the wire elongation. The interpretation of the results is troublesome, because conductance is measured during the modification of the atomic structure. This kind of experimental study has been performed by many research groups and, a quite wide range of temperatures (4 – 300 K) and vacuum conditions have been used (from ambient to UHV). In fact, the results display significant variation, what has generated several controversial interpretations. It must be emphasized that many models have been derived without taking into account that the NW structural deformation should be significantly dependent on temperature.

Understanding the mechanical properties of nanoscale systems requires a range of measurement techniques and theoretical approaches to gather the relevant physical and chemical information. The arrangements of atoms in nanostructures and macroscopic matter can be different, principally due to the role of surface energy, but the interplay between atomic and electronic structure in association with applied mechanical stress can also lead to surprising differences. For example, metastable structures such as suspended chains of atoms and helical wires have been produced by the stretching of metal junctions. Here we report the spontaneous formation of the smallest possible metal nanotube with a square cross-section during the elongation of silver nanocontacts. Ab initio calculations and molecular simulations indicate that the hollow wire forms because this configuration allows the surface energy to be minimized, and also generates a soft structure capable of absorbing a huge tensile deformation.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012.

We have studied the effect of thermal effects on the structural and transport response of Ag atomic-size nanowires (NWs) generated by mechanical elongation. Our study involves both time-resolved atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and quantum conductance measurement using an ultra-high-vacuum mechanically controllable break junction. We have observed drastic changes in conductance and structural properties of Ag nanowires generated at different temperatures (150 and 300 K). By combining electron microscopy images, electronic transport measurements, and quantum transport calculations, we have been able to obtain a consistent correlation between the conductance and structural properties of Ag NWs. In particular, our study has revealed the formation of metastable rectangular rod-like Ag wire (3/3) along the [001] crystallographic direction, whose formation is enhanced. These results illustrate the high complexity of analyzing structural and quantum conductance behaviour of metal atomic...

The origin of long interatomic distances in suspended gold atomic chains formed from stretched nanowires remains the object of debate despite the large amount of theoretical and experimental work. Here, we report new atomic resolution electron microscopy observations acquired at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures and theoretical results from ab initio quantum molecular dynamics on chain formation and stability. These new data are suggestive that the long distances are due to contamination by carbon atoms originating from the decomposition of adsorbed hydrocarbon molecules.

We have studied the changes induced by thermal effects in the structural and transport response of Au nanowires generated by mechanical elongation. We have used time-resolved atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and quantum conductance measurement using a mechanically controllable break junction. Our results showed remarkable differences in the NW evolution for experiments realized at 150 and 300 K, which modifies drastically the conductance response during elongation. Molecular dynamics and electronic transport calculations were used to consistently correlate the observed structural and conductance behavior. These results emphasize that it is essential to take into account the precise atomic arrangement of nanocontacts generated by mechanical stretching to understand electrical transport properties. Also, our study shows that much care must be taken when comparing results obtained in different experimental conditions, mainly different temperatures.

Reliable metal nanowire studies requires experimental stringent conditions, as clean samples and environment. In this sense, we have designed and built a dedicated instrument to study electrical transport properties of atomic-size metal contacts based on the mechanically controlled break junction technique, operating at ultra-high-vacuum conditions. Here we describe the chosen setup, its implementation and performance.