Charge fluctuations and the tunneling spectra of non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper presents microscopic calculations showing that charge fluctuations in non-magnetic metal nanoparticles cause unique tunneling resonances, explaining experimental spectral features and resonance clustering.

Contribution

The study introduces a new theoretical framework linking charge fluctuations to tunneling spectra, explaining previously unexplained experimental observations.

Findings

Charge fluctuations produce new tunneling resonances.

Resonance clustering in Al nanoparticles is naturally explained.

Different kinetics of positive and negative fluctuations account for spectral asymmetries.

Abstract

We present microscopic transport calculations of the tunneling spectra of non-magnetic metal nanoparticles. We show that charge fluctuations give rise to tunneling resonances of a new type. Positive and negative fluctuations have differing kinetics and thus account for previously unexplained spectral features that are found experimentally under only forward or only reverse applied bias. The observed clustering of tunneling resonances of Al nanoparticles arises naturally from our theory.