Flow : a study of electron transport through networks of interconnected nanoparticles

Blok, S. (2018)

Doctoral Thesis

This thesis describes a study from both a theoreticaL and an experimental point of view. I deveLop a new ru•deL for electron transport through networks of interconnected narnzparticLes In the Coulomb blockade regime and compare this ru•del tc experimental data. The main conclusion from this study is that cotunneLing does not give any significant contribution tc electron transport. Instead, transport is governed by perccIatLng paths thrcugh the netwcrk. Here, disorder In the array (in the form of variation of the Coulomb chargLng energy of the nanzparticLes) is the domLnating factor. Morecver, usLng Low—energy electron potentiometry, I visualise the f Low cf electrcns through the network. We find here that the contact resistance is negligibLe, and Chat the electi•zn flow 13 not impeded by small irregularities such as small and grain boundaries .

• Nanoparticle networks
• Electron transport
• cotunneling
• m-LEEP
• Disorder
• Molecular switches
• Low-energy electron microscopy

• All authors: Blok, S.
• Supervisor: Molen, S.J. van der; Ruitenbeek, J.M. van
• Committee: Blaauboer, M.; Eliel, E.R.; Leifer, K.; Noort, S.J.T. van; Oosterkamp, T.H.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Institute of Physics (LION), Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2018-07-04
• Title of host publication: Casimir PhD Series
• ISBN (print): 9789085933519
• Name: 2018-22