Electronic Conduction Mechanism in Atom Switch Using Polymer Solid Electrolyte

Low-temperature characterization of electrical transport on atom switches has been performed to clarify operation and conducting mechanisms. The low resistive (ON) state (<; 400 Ω) shows metallic conduction accompanied with a high residual resistance. In the high resistive (OFF) state(>;10⁸), the resistance exponentially increases with decreasing temperature due to Poole-Frenkel conduction. In the intermediate range (10⁵ - 10⁷ Ω), the resistance has small temperature dependence since the electron tunneling via Cu residues in a solid electrolyte is dominant. The polymer solid electrolyte enables the complete collection of the Cu residues without degrading the electrolyte, resulting in forming-free operation and a high on/off conductance ratio.