Exploring the conduction in atomic-sized metallic constrictions created by controlled ion etching
Zaragoza watched conductance fall in quantum steps — using two Kleindiek microprobes to read an electrode’s resistance live as a focused ion beam etched it to atomic dimensions.
A low-energy focused ion beam etches a (sub)micrometric metal electrode while two Kleindiek microprobes measure the nanoconstriction’s resistance in situ. Monitoring resistance during milling lets the authors control the formation of atomic-sized contacts, observing steps in the conductance near the quantum of conductance (G0 = 2e²/h) just before the structure enters the tunnelling regime.
Products in this study
MM3A-EM
The industry-standard spherical micromanipulator — the platform every Kleindiek plug-in tool attaches to, with 3000+ units in the field.
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Probe-Tip Holder LCMK
A low-noise, low-resistance probe-tip holder that turns a Kleindiek manipulator into a precision nanoprober — resolving currents down to 3 fA.
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