RESUMEN

Hydrodynamics, which generally describes the flow of a fluid, is expected to hold even for fundamental particles such as electrons when inter-particle interactions dominate1. Although various aspects of electron hydrodynamics have been revealed in recent experiments2-11, the fundamental spatial structure of hydrodynamic electrons-the Poiseuille flow profile-has remained elusive. Here we provide direct imaging of the Poiseuille flow of an electronic fluid, as well as a visualization of its evolution from ballistic flow. Using a scanning carbon nanotube single-electron transistor12, we image the Hall voltage of electronic flow through channels of high-mobility graphene. We find that the profile of the Hall field across the channel is a key physical quantity for distinguishing ballistic from hydrodynamic flow. We image the transition from flat, ballistic field profiles at low temperatures into parabolic field profiles at elevated temperatures, which is the hallmark of Poiseuille flow. The curvature of the imaged profiles is qualitatively reproduced by Boltzmann calculations, which allow us to create a 'phase diagram' that characterizes the electron flow regimes. Our results provide direct confirmation of Poiseuille flow in the solid state, and enable exploration of the rich physics of interacting electrons in real space.

RESUMEN

A variety of physical phenomena associated with nanoscale electron transport often results in non-trivial spatial voltage and current patterns, particularly in nonlocal transport regimes. While numerous techniques have been devised to image electron flows, the need remains for a nanoscale probe capable of simultaneously imaging current and voltage distributions with high sensitivity and minimal invasiveness, in a magnetic field, across a broad range of temperatures and beneath an insulating surface. Here we present a technique for spatially mapping electron flows based on a nanotube single-electron transistor, which achieves high sensitivity for both voltage and current imaging. In a series of experiments using high-mobility graphene devices, we demonstrate the ability of our technique to visualize local aspects of intrinsically nonlocal transport, as in ballistic flows, which are not easily resolvable via existing methods. This technique should aid in understanding the physics of two-dimensional electronic devices and enable new classes of experiments that image electron flow through buried nanostructures in the quantum and interaction-dominated regimes.

RESUMEN

We present a method to fabricate individually addressable junctions of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that builds on previous studies which have shown that soft conductive polymer top contacts virtually eliminate shorts through the SAMs. We demonstrate devices with nanoscale lateral dimensions, representing an order of magnitude reduction in device area, with high yield and relatively low device-to-device variation, improving several features of previous soft contact devices. The devices are formed in pores in an inorganic dielectric layer with features defined by e-beam lithography and dry etching. We replace the aqueous PEDOT:PSS conductive polymer used in prior devices with Aedotron P, a low-viscosity, amphiphilic polymer, allowing incorporation of self-assembled monolayers with either hydrophobic or hydrophilic termination with the same junction geometry and materials. We demonstrate the adaptability of this new design by presenting transport measurements on SAMs composed of alkanethiols with methyl, thiol, carboxyl, and azide terminations. We establish that the observed room-temperature tunnel barrier is primarily a function of monolayer thickness, independent of the terminal group's hydrophilicity. Finally, we investigate the temperature dependence of transport and show that the low-temperature behavior is based on the energy distribution of sites from which carriers can tunnel between the polymer and gold contacts, as described by a model of variable-range hopping transport in a disordered conductor.

Asunto(s)

Cristalización/métodos , Microelectrodos , Nanoestructuras/química , Nanoestructuras/ultraestructura , Polímeros/química , Sustancias Macromoleculares/química , Ensayo de Materiales , Conformación Molecular , Tamaño de la Partícula , Propiedades de Superficie

RESUMEN

We have developed a highly sensitive integrated capacitance bridge for quantum capacitance measurements. Our bridge, based on a GaAs HEMT amplifier, delivers attofarad (aF) resolution using a small AC excitation at or below k(B)T over a broad temperature range (4-300 K). We have achieved a resolution at room temperature of 60 aF/√Hz for a 10 mV ac excitation at 17.5 kHz, with an improved resolution at cryogenic temperatures, for the same excitation amplitude. We demonstrate the utility of our bridge for measuring the quantum capacitance of nanostructures by measuring the capacitance of top-gated graphene devices and cleanly resolving the density of states.