Title :
Current through a single atom
Author :
Yamaguchi, F. ; Yamamoto, Y.
Author_Institution :
ERATO Yamamoto Quantum Fluctuation Project, Stanford Univ., CA, USA
fDate :
11/21/1996 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Simple analytical formulas are presented for the current flowing through a single atom located between a pair of metallic electrodes and the number of electrons bound in the atom. The work function of the electrodes W, the highest occupied energy level of the atom -E0 , and the electrostatic charging energy U, determine how the atom becomes charged and how the current features nonlinearity via the Coulomb blockade and the Pauli exclusion principle
Keywords :
alkali metals; bound states; quantum interference phenomena; tunnelling; work function; Coulomb blockade; I-V characteristics; Pauli exclusion principle; alkali atom; atom charging; atomic electron tunnelling; bound electrons; current flow; electrostatic charging energy; highest occupied energy level; metallic electrodes; nonlinearity; sequential tunnelling; single atom; work function;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el:19961498
