We have studied the effect of thermal effects on the structural and transportresponse of Ag atomic-size nanowires generated by mechanical elongation. Ourstudy involves both time-resolved atomic resolution transmission electronmicroscopy imaging and quantum conductance measurement using anultra-high-vacuum mechanically controllable break junction. We have observeddrastic changes in conductance and structural properties of Ag nanowiresgenerated at different temperatures (150 and 300 K). By combining electronmicroscopy images, electronic transport measurements and quantum transportcalculations, we have been able to obtain a consistent correlation between theconductance and structural properties of Ag NWs. In particular, our study hasrevealed the formation of metastable rectangular rod-like Ag wire (3/3) alongthe (001) crystallographic direction, whose formation is enhanced. Theseresults illustrate the high complexity of analyzing structural and quantumconductance behaviour of metal atomic-size wires; also, they reveal that it isextremely difficult to compare NW conductance experiments performed atdifferent temperatures due to the fundamental modifications of the mechanicalbehavior.
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