Suppression of the stochastic fluctuations of suspended nanowires by temperature-induced single-electron tunneling

Journal article, 2011

We theoretically investigate the electromechanical properties of freely suspended nanowires that are in tunneling contact with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and two supporting metallic leads. The aim of our analysis is to characterize the fluctuations of the dynamical variables of the nanowire when a temperature drop is maintained between the STM tip and the leads, which are all assumed to be electrically grounded. By solving a quantum master equation that describes the coupled dynamics of electronic and mechanical degrees of freedom, we found that the stationary state of the mechanical oscillator has a Gaussian character, but that the amplitude of its root-mean square center-of-mass fluctuations is smaller than would be expected if the system were coupled only to the leads at thermal equilibrium.