Quantum Interference and the Conductance of Sub-Micron Samples - A Probe of Microscopic Processes in Metals

亚微米平版印刷术的进步打开了 研究“介观”尺寸范围的物理学。 这个政权 其特征在于量子干涉效应增强 电导率对微观的 杂质电势，因此可以仔细测量电导， 用来探测单个原子的运动 电导测量将用于研究 金属及其与l/f噪声的关系， 金属玻璃 我们对这两个领域的理解 由于我们无法观察到微观样本而受到限制。 通过测量亚微米样品的电导波动， 样本大小、温度和应变的函数，以及所应用的 磁场，人们将探测单个缺陷的性质 以及它们之间的相互作用 另一个和传导电子。

Advances in sub-micron lithograpy have opened the door to the study of the physics of the "mesoscopic" size regime. This regime is characterized by quantum-interference effects enhanced electrical conductance is extremely sensitive to the microscopic impurity potential, hence careful conductance measurements can be used to detect the motions of single atoms. Conductance measurements will be used to study defects in metals and their relation to l/f noise, and tunneling systems in metallic glasses. Our understanding in both of these areas has been limited by our inability to observe the microscopic samples. By measuring conductance fluctuations in submicron samples as a function of sample size, temperature and strain, and of the applied magnetic field, one will probe the properties of individual defects and tunneling systems, as well as their interactions with each other and with the conduction electrons.