Nonlinear Dynamics of Metallic Nanofabrication

Using concepts from fluid dynamics, a partial differential equation for the shape evolution of a metallic nanowire is derived from a semiclassical energy functional that includes electron-shell effects. A rich dynamics, involving movement and interaction of kinks connecting locally stable radii, leads to the formation of a wire whose equilibrium shape is universal and consists of a cylindrical part connected to unduloid-like leads. The universality of the equilibrium shape may provide an explanation for the formation of cylindrical nanowires observed in recent experiments.