Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance

E. H. Huisman; F. L. Bakker; J. P. van der Pal; R. M. de Jonge; C. H. van der Wal

doi:10.1119/1.3593276

Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance

E. H. Huisman^*, F. L. Bakker, J. P. van der Pal, R. M. de Jonge, C. H. van der Wal

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics of Nanodevices

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

We present a robust setup that demonstrates the quantum of electrical conductance for a general audience. The setup is continuously available in a public space and allows users to manually thin a gold wire of several atoms in diameter while monitoring its conductance in real time. During the experiment, a characteristic step-like decrease in the conductance due to rearrangements of atoms in the cross-section of the wire is observed. Just before the wire breaks, a contact consisting of a single atom with a characteristic conductance close to the quantum of conductance can be maintained for up to several seconds. The setup is permanently available, needs little maintenance and can be used on different educational levels. (C) 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.3593276]

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	856-860
Number of pages	5
Journal	American Journal of Physics
Volume	79
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1119/1.3593276
Publication status	Published - Aug-2011

Keywords

electric admittance
gold
physics education
student experiments
QUANTIZED CONDUCTANCE
METALLIC CONTACTS
POINT CONTACTS

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title = "Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance",

abstract = "We present a robust setup that demonstrates the quantum of electrical conductance for a general audience. The setup is continuously available in a public space and allows users to manually thin a gold wire of several atoms in diameter while monitoring its conductance in real time. During the experiment, a characteristic step-like decrease in the conductance due to rearrangements of atoms in the cross-section of the wire is observed. Just before the wire breaks, a contact consisting of a single atom with a characteristic conductance close to the quantum of conductance can be maintained for up to several seconds. The setup is permanently available, needs little maintenance and can be used on different educational levels. (C) 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.3593276]",

keywords = "electric admittance, gold, physics education, student experiments, QUANTIZED CONDUCTANCE, METALLIC CONTACTS, POINT CONTACTS",

author = "Huisman, {E. H.} and Bakker, {F. L.} and {van der Pal}, {J. P.} and {de Jonge}, {R. M.} and {van der Wal}, {C. H.}",

year = "2011",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1119/1.3593276",

language = "English",

volume = "79",

pages = "856--860",

journal = "American Journal of Physics",

issn = "0002-9505",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance

AU - Huisman, E. H.

AU - Bakker, F. L.

AU - van der Pal, J. P.

AU - de Jonge, R. M.

AU - van der Wal, C. H.

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - We present a robust setup that demonstrates the quantum of electrical conductance for a general audience. The setup is continuously available in a public space and allows users to manually thin a gold wire of several atoms in diameter while monitoring its conductance in real time. During the experiment, a characteristic step-like decrease in the conductance due to rearrangements of atoms in the cross-section of the wire is observed. Just before the wire breaks, a contact consisting of a single atom with a characteristic conductance close to the quantum of conductance can be maintained for up to several seconds. The setup is permanently available, needs little maintenance and can be used on different educational levels. (C) 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.3593276]

AB - We present a robust setup that demonstrates the quantum of electrical conductance for a general audience. The setup is continuously available in a public space and allows users to manually thin a gold wire of several atoms in diameter while monitoring its conductance in real time. During the experiment, a characteristic step-like decrease in the conductance due to rearrangements of atoms in the cross-section of the wire is observed. Just before the wire breaks, a contact consisting of a single atom with a characteristic conductance close to the quantum of conductance can be maintained for up to several seconds. The setup is permanently available, needs little maintenance and can be used on different educational levels. (C) 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.3593276]

KW - electric admittance

KW - gold

KW - physics education

KW - student experiments

KW - QUANTIZED CONDUCTANCE

KW - METALLIC CONTACTS

KW - POINT CONTACTS

U2 - 10.1119/1.3593276

DO - 10.1119/1.3593276

M3 - Article

SN - 0002-9505

VL - 79

SP - 856

EP - 860

JO - American Journal of Physics

JF - American Journal of Physics

IS - 8

ER -

Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance

Abstract

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