Time-Resolved Imaging of Negative Differential Resistance on the Atomic Scale

Abstract

Negative differential resistance remains an attractive but elusive functionality, so far only finding niche applications. Atom scale entities have shown promising properties, but viability of device fabrication requires fuller understanding of electron dynamics than has been possible to date. Using an all-electronic time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy technique and a Green's function transport model, we study an isolated dangling bond on a hydrogen terminated silicon surface. A robust negative differential resistance feature is identified as a many body phenomenon related to occupation dependent electron capture by a single atomic level. We measure all the time constants involved in this process and present atomically resolved, nanosecond timescale images to simultaneously capture the spatial and temporal variation of the observed feature.

References in corpus (2)

• Resonant tunneling in a quantum oxide superlattice
• Versatile scanning tunneling microscopy with 120ps time resolution

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Realization of a hole-doped Mott insulator on a triangular silicon lattice
• Dynamical Negative Differential Resistance in Antiferromagnetically Coupled Few-Atom Spin-Chains
• Resolving and Tuning Carrier Capture Rates at a Single Silicon Atom Gap State
• Spectroscopic signature of obstructed surface states in SrIn${}_2$P${}_2$
• Ionic Charge Distributions in Silicon Atomic Wires
• Dangling bonds on the Cl- and Br-terminated Si(100) surfaces
• Transitions between positive and negative charge states of dangling bonds on a halogenated Si(100) surface