6533b822fe1ef96bd127d605

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Single-electron tunneling in metal droplets in the high conductance regime

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We present single-electron tunneling results for well-characterized multidroplet systems in the high conductance regime. The work was conducted with tunnel systems comprising ultra-small Ni droplets. The conductance associated with individual droplets was estimated to reach 18--19G{sub K} in systems exhibiting especially high conductance. The P(E) (phase correlation) theory has been successfully applied to the conductance characteristics of these systems. Our results suggest that in the high conductance regime the droplets can be modeled as single, resistively isolated tunnel junctions. Based on an analysis of the single-electron properties of these systems, the average number of droplets N contributing to the total tunneling conductance can be estimated. For samples in the low conductance regime, it appears that N=1, whereas for samples in the high conductance regime 100<N<1000.