Transport in magnetically ordered Pt nanocontacts

Pt nanocontacts, like those formed in mechanically controlled break junctions, are shown to develop spontaneous local magnetic order. Our density functional calculations predict that a robust local magnetic order exists in the atoms presenting low coordination, i.e., those forming the atom-sized neck. We thus find that the electronic transport can be spin polarized, although the net value of the conductance still agrees with available experimental information. Experimental implications of the formation of this new type of nanomagnet are discussed.

Work was funded from Grant Nos. MAT2002-04429 and FIS2004-02356, the Ramon y Cajal Program (MCyT, Spain), and Grant No. GV05/152 from Comunidad Valencina, are acknowledged. This work has also been supported by FEDER.