Electronic Transport in Metal Nanocrystal Arrays: The Effect of Structural Disorder on Scaling Behavior
Abstract
We investigate the impact of structural disorder on electronic transport in gold nanocrystal monolayers. Arrays ranging from void-filled networks to well-ordered superlattices show clear voltage thresholds (VT) due to Coulomb blockade, and temperature-independent conduction indicative of quantum tunneling. Current-voltage characteristics of arrays with and without long-range structural order were found to collapse onto distinct scaling curves. The former follow a single power law: I~(V-VT)ζ, ζ = 2.25+/-0.1. The latter show additional structure, reflecting the underlying disordered topology.
- Publication:
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Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.186807
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0102446
- Bibcode:
- 2001PhRvL..87r6807P
- Keywords:
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- Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics;
- Condensed Matter - Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 3 figures. Figure 1 is best viewed in the PostScript version.