Electronic and Elastic Properties of Helical Nickel Nanowires

The structural and elastic properties of ultrathin nickel nanowires are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulation with a Sutton--Chen potential. Helical multi-shell structures are obtained as the most stable structures for Ni nanowires with diameters of about 1nm. The electronic states of these nanowires are computed and compared with that of Ni solid. The mechanical responses of the helical nanowires under tensile forces are simulated. We observe elastic deformation of nanowires characterized by periodic oscillations of the nanowire length under constant force. Within an elastic limit, both the atomic structures and the electronic structures remain stable under external tensile loading.