2013/03/20 by H. Cabrera, D.A. Zanin, D. A. Zanin +15 · 1 citation
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed matter physics #Electric field #Electron #Exponent #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Geometry #Lambda #Mathematics #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Physics #Planar #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Quantum tunnelling #Scale invariance #Scaling #Tunnel junction #Voltage #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.87.115436
published as Phys. Rev. B 87, 115436 (2013) · 6 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review B
arxiv created 2013/03/20 · openalex publication_date 2013/03/29 · arxiv updated 2013/04/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We measure the current vs voltage (I-V) characteristics of a diodelike tunnel junction consisting of a sharp metallic tip placed at a variable distance d from a planar collector and emitting electrons via electric-field assisted emission. All curves collapse onto one single graph when I is plotted as a function of the single scaling variable Vd^\ensuremath-\ensuremathλ, d being varied from a few mm to a few nm, i.e., by about six orders of magnitude. We provide an argument that finds the exponent \ensuremathλ within the singular behavior inherent to the electrostatics of a sharp tip. A simulation of the tunneling barrier for a realistic tip reproduces both the scaling behavior and the small but significant deviations from scaling observed experimentally.