We report transport measurements of electrons on helium in a microchannel device where the channels are 200 nm deep and 3 $mu$m wide. The channels are fabricated above amorphous metallic Ta$_{40}$W$_{40}$Si$_{20}$, which has surface roughness below 1 nm and minimal variations in work function across the surface due to the absence of polycrystalline grains. We are able to set the electron density in the channels using a ground plane. We estimate a mobility of 300 cm$^2$/V$cdot$s and electron densities as high as 2.56$times$10$^9$ cm$^{-2}$. We demonstrate control of the transport using a barrier which enables pinchoff at a central microchannel connecting two reservoirs. The conductance through the central microchannel is measured to be 10 nS for an electron density of 1.58$times$10$^9$ cm$^{-2}$. Our work extends transport measurements of surface electrons to thin helium films in microchannel devices above metallic substrates.
An ultra-strong photovoltaic effect has recently been reported for electrons trapped on a liquid Helium surface under a microwave excitation tuned at intersubband resonance [D. Konstantinov et. al. : J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 81, 093601 (2012) ]. In this article, we analyze theoretically the redistribution of the electron density induced by an overheating of the surface electrons under irradiation, and obtain quantitative predictions for the photocurrent dependence on the effective electron temperature and confinement voltages. We show that the photo-current can change sign as a function of the parameters of the electrostatic confinement potential on the surface, while the photocurrent measurements reported so far have been performed only at a fixed confinement potential. The experimental observation of this sign reversal could provide a reliable estimation of the electron effective temperature in this new out of equilibrium state. Finally, we have also considered the effect of the temperature on the outcome of capacitive transport measurement techniques. These investigations led us to develop, numerical and analytical methods for solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation in the limit of very low temperatures which could be useful for other systems.
We address the problem of overheating of electrons trapped on the liquid helium surface by cyclotron resonance excitation. Previous experiments, suggest that electrons can be heated to temperatures up to 1000K more than three order of magnitude higher than the temperature of the helium bath in the sub-Kelvin range. In this work we attempt to discriminate between a redistribution of thermal origin and other out-of equilibrium mechanisms that would not require so high temperatures like resonant photo-galvanic effects, or negative mobilities. We argue that for a heating scenario the direction of the electron flow under cyclotron resonance can be controlled by the shape of the initial electron density profile, with a dependence that can be modeled accurately within the Poisson-Boltzmann theory framework. This provides an self consistency-check to probe if the redistribution is indeed consistent with a thermal origin. We find that while our experimental results are consistent with the Poisson-Boltzmann theoretical dependence but some deviations suggest that other physical mechanisms can also provide a measurable contribution. Analyzing our results with the heating model we find that the electron temperatures increases with electron density under the same microwave irradiation conditions. This unexpected density dependence calls for a microscopic treatment of the energy relaxation of overheated electrons.
We report on the study of magneto-photogalvanic and magnetotransport phenomena in 200 nm partially strained HgTe films. This thickness is slightly larger than the estimated critical thickness of lattice relaxation leaving the film partially relaxed with the value of the energy gap close to zero. We show that illumination of HgTe films with monochromatic terahertz laser radiation results in a giant resonant photocurrent caused by the cyclotron resonance in the surface states. The resonant photocurrent is also detected in the reference fully strained 80 nm HgTe films previously shown to be fully gapped 3D topological insulators. We show that the resonance positions in both types of films almost coincide demonstrating the existence of topologically protected surface states in thick HgTe films. The conclusion is supported by magnetotransport experiments.
The anomalous magnetoresistance caused by the weak antilocalization (WAL) effects in 200-nm HgTe films is experimentally studied. The film is a high quality 3D topological insulator with much stronger spatial separation of surface states than in previously studied thinner HgTe structures. However, in contrast to that films, the system under study is characterized by a reduced partial strain resulting in an almost zero bulk energy gap. It has been shown that at all positions of the Fermi level the system exhibits a WAL conductivity correction superimposed on classical parabolic magnetoresistance. Since high mobility of carriers, the analysis of the obtained results was performed using a ballistic WAL theory. The maximum of the WAL conductivity correction amplitude was found at a Fermi level position near the bulk energy gap indicating to full decoupling of the surface carriers in these conditions. The WAL amplitude monotonously decreases when the density of either bulk electrons or holes increases that results from the increasing coupling between surface and bulk carriers.
We present a simple and reliable method for making electrical contacts to small organic molecules with thiol endgroups. Nanometer-scale gaps between metallic electrodes have been fabricated by passing a large current through a lithographically-patterned Au-line with appropriate thickness. Under appropriate conditions, the passage of current breaks the Au-line, creating two opposite facing electrodes separated by a gap comparable to the length of small organic molecules. Current-voltage characteristics have been measured both before and after deposition of short organic molecules. The resistance of single 1,4-benzenedithiol and 1,4-bezenedimethanedithiol molecules were found to be 9M$Omega$ and 26M$Omega$, respectively. The experimental results indicate strong electronic copuling to the contacts and are discussed using a relatively simple model of mesoscopic transport. The use of electrodes formed on an insulating surface by lithography and electromigration provides a stable structure suitable for integrated circuit applications.
A. T. Asfaw
,E. I. Kleinbaum
,M. D. Henry
.
(2018)
.
"Transport Measurements of Surface Electrons in 200 nm Deep Helium-Filled Microchannels Above Amorphous Metallic Electrodes"
.
Abraham Asfaw
هل ترغب بارسال اشعارات عن اخر التحديثات في شمرا-اكاديميا