Limits to Metallic Conduction in Atomic-Scale Quasi-One-Dimensional Silicon Wires

The recent observation of ultralow resistivity in highly doped, atomic-scale silicon wires has sparked interest in what limits conduction in these quasi-1D systems. Here we present electron transport measurements of gated Si:P wires of widths 4.6 and 1.5 nm. At 4.6 nm we find an electron mobility, μₑₗ60 cm²/V s, in excellent agreement with that of macroscopic Hall bars. Metallic conduction persists to millikelvin temperatures where we observe Gaussian conductance fluctuations of order δG~e²/h. In thinner wires (1.5 nm), metallic conduction breaks down at Ge²/h, where localization of carriers leads to Coulomb blockade. Metallic behavior is explained by the large carrier densities in Si:P δ-doped systems, allowing the occupation of all six valleys of the silicon conduction band, enhancing the number of 1D channels and hence the localization length.