Development of correlated quasiparticle conductance peak as molecule-linked gold nanoparticle films transition from Mott-insulator to metal phases

TL;DR

This study investigates conductance in gold nanoparticle films during an insulator-to-metal transition, revealing a zero-bias conductance peak linked to electron correlations, with implications for understanding correlated electron systems.

Contribution

It reports the observation of a zero-bias conductance peak in nanoparticle films during the transition, attributed to quantum correlations, and demonstrates the use of electromigration break junctions for enhanced detection.

Findings

Zero-bias conductance peak observed during transition

Peak more prominent in electromigration break junctions

Anomalous resistivity behavior linked to electron correlations

Abstract

We have studied conductance ($\it{g}$) of butanedithiol-linked gold nanoparticle films across a percolation insulator-to-metal transition. As the transition proceeds, electrons become itinerant (i.e. Coulomb charging and kinetic effects are both significant), and films exhibit a previously unobserved zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP). The peak is much more pronounced and easily observed using electromigration-induced break junction (BJ) contacts rather than macroscopic 4-probe electrodes. We attribute this ZBCP to quantum correlations amongst electrons, in view of other temperature- ($\it{T}$-) and magnetic ($\it{B}$-) dependent measurements as well as predictions of the Hubbard model and dynamic mean field theory in this transition regime. Metallic film resistances ($\it{R}$'s) increase linearly with $\it{T}$, but with suggested scattering lengths that, anomalously, are shorter than inter-atomic distances. Similar so-called "bad-metallic" behaviour has been observed in several studies of correlated systems, and is still being understood. We find here that the anomalous $\it{R}$ behaviours are associated with the ZBCP. This system can serve as a new test bed for studying correlated electrons and points to a nano building-block strategy for fashioning novel correlated materials.