Negative differential resistance in electron tunneling in ultrathin films near the two-dimensional limit
- Department of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A and 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 (India)
We report on our observation of negative differential resistance (NDR) in electron tunneling conductance in atomic-scale ultrathin Ag films on Si(111) substrates. NDR was observed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements. The tunneling conductance depends on the electronic local density of states (LDOS) of the sample. We show that the sample bias voltage, at which negative differential resistance and peak negative conductance occur, depends on the film thickness. This can be understood from the variation in the LDOS of the Ag films as a function of film thickness down to the two-dimensional limit of one atomic layer. First principles density functional theory calculations have been used to explain the results.
- OSTI ID:
- 22102226
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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