One of most topical and promising areas in present-day physics is the study of the physical properties of metallic few-atom contacts, which are attractive not only for their application prospects, but also because of their amenability to verification through theory-versus-experiment comparison. This review mainly focuses on theoretical approaches to understanding the formation processes and properties of metallic atomic contacts.

Keywords: metallic nanowires, metallic nanocontacts, quantum conductance, nanomagnetism, spintronics PACS: 73.63.Rt, 75.75.−c, 81.07.Lk (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0185.201510a.1009 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2015/10/a/ 000367246700001 2-s2.0-84954307646 2015PhyU...58..933K Citation: Klavsyuk A L, Saletsky A M "Formation and properties of metallic atomic contacts" Phys. Usp. 58 933–951 (2015) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 23rd, June 2015, revised: 15th, July 2015, accepted: 15th, July 2015 Оригинал: Клавсюк А Л, Салецкий А М «Формирование и свойства металлических атомных контактов» УФН 185 1009–1030 (2015); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0185.201510a.1009