Evidence for universal conductance correction in a tunable strongly coupled nanogranular metal

TL;DR

This study investigates temperature-dependent conductivity in tunable nanogranular Pt-C, revealing a universal conductance correction behavior consistent with recent theories, across a range of coupling strengths.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence for universal conductance correction in strongly coupled nanogranular metals, confirming theoretical predictions.

Findings

Logarithmic conductivity behavior at elevated temperatures.

Square root temperature dependence at low temperatures.

Good agreement with theoretical models for g > 1.

Abstract

We present temperature-dependent conductivity data obtained on a sample set of nanogranular Pt-C with finely tuned inter-grain tunnel coupling strength g. For samples in the strong-coupling regime g > g_C, characterized by a finite conductivity for T -> 0, we find a logarithmic behavior at elevated temperatures and a crossover to a sqrt(T)-behavior at low temperatures over a wide range of coupling strengths g_C = 0.25 < g <= 3. The experimental observation for g > 1 is in very good agreement with recent theoretical findings on ordered granular metals in three spatial dimensions. The results indicate a validity of the predicted universal conductivity behavior that goes beyond the immediate range of the approach used in the theoretical derivation.