Smart Electromechanical Pumping of Electrons in a Nanopillars Transistor

Abstract

Analysis of room-temperature current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a silicon box in a nanopillar transistor suggests that a weak electromechanical coupling of 0.17 is responsible for the stable tunnel of single-electron. The dynamics involves a few electrons and the numbers (N) specified are periodical at 3, 6, and 12. Quantized currents are observed at N = 7 and 13, indicating that the box is a man-made atom. At a large value of 0.5, instability however dominates the I-V by showing interference, channel closure and the change of tunnel direction. Overall, the interplay of even and odd electrons between different channels also shows that the box operates itself like a smart quantum pump.