2001/12/12 by Andrei Korotkov, Michael K. Bowman, Korotkov, A. +5
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Surface and Thin Film Phenomena
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0112235
openalex publication_date 2001/12/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We describe a method for creating atomic-scale electric contacts. A metal source is deposited on two insulating substrates separated by a 70 nm gap. Electric conductance across the gap is monitored, while protrusions from the bulk extend into the gap and reach corresponding protrusions on the other side of the gap. When the voltage across the gap is large, a pair of corresponding protrusions assembles into a point contact, via equilibrium between electrostatic attraction and a maximum sustained current. The current voltage characteristics of the point contact display crossover from weak link into tunneling junction when its conductance is near 2e2/h, indicating that the point contact is atomic-scale.