Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays

Details Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays

2008-05-23

arxiv.org/abs/0805.3567v2

Physics

Condensed Matter

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

7 figures, 9 pages; Missing abstract

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevB.78.075437

We investigate transport in weakly-coupled metal nanoparticle arrays, focusing on the regime where tunneling is competing with strong single electron charging effects. This competition gives rise to an interplay between two types of charge transport. In sequential tunneling, transport is dominated by independent electron hops from a particle to its nearest neighbor along the current path. In inelastic cotunneling, transport is dominated by cooperative, multi-electron hops that each go to the nearest neighbor but are synchronized to move charge over distances of several particles. In order to test how the temperature-dependent cotunnel distance affects the current-voltage ($I-V$) characteristics we perform a series of systematic experiments on highly-ordered, close-packed nanoparticle arrays. The arrays consist of $\sim 5.5$nm diameter gold nanocrystals with tight size dispersion, spaced $\sim 1.7$nm apart by interdigitating shells of dodecanethiol ligands. We present $I-V$ data for mono-, bi-, tri- and tetralayer arrays. For stacks 2-4 layers thick we compare in-plane measurements with data for vertical transport, perpendicular to the array plane. Our results support a picture whereby transport inside the Coulomb blockade regime occurs by inelastic cotunneling, while sequential tunneling takes over at large bias above the global Coulomb blockade threshold $V_t(T)$, and at high temperatures.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-500185