Coulomb gap triptych in a periodic array of metal nanocrystals

Tianran Chen, Brian Skinner, B. I. Shklovskii

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Coulomb gap in the single-particle density of states (DOS) is a universal consequence of electron-electron interaction in disordered systems with localized electron states. Here we show that in arrays of monodisperse metallic nanocrystals, there is not one but three identical adjacent Coulomb gaps, which together form a structure that we call a "Coulomb gap triptych." We calculate the DOS and the conductivity in two- and three-dimensional arrays using a computer simulation. Unlike in the conventional Coulomb glass models, in nanocrystal arrays the DOS has a fixed width in the limit of large disorder. The Coulomb gap triptych can be studied via tunneling experiments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number126805
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume109
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 19 2012

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Coulomb gap triptych in a periodic array of metal nanocrystals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this