Tunnelling current between two quasi-1-dimensional conductors
Marek Michalewicz*
Quantum Precision Instruments Pty. Ltd.,
Flemington, Victoria 3031 Australia
This is an abstract
for a presentation given at the
Eighth
Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology.
There will be a link from here to the full article when it is
available on the web.
The concept of the family of MEMS and nano-devices for ultra high precision measurments of an angle, rotation, alignment, translation, frequency and acceleration will be described. The devices are based on quantum tunnelling current between two or more quasi-1-dimensional conductors placed on two atomically flat substrates which are brought together at distances of the order of nanometers. The lateral rotation of one plane with respect to another, with interplanar separation kept constant produces linear changes in the tunnelling current for small angles. This is in striking difference to exponential dependance of the tunnelling current on the vertical interplanar separation. The possible implementations of the devices using the current state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication technologies and future embodiments relying on manipulation of nanotubes on the vicinal crystal surfaces will be outlined.
*Corresponding Address:
Marek Michalewicz
Quantum Precision Instruments Pty. Ltd.
290 Racecourse Road
Flemington, Victoria 3031 Australia
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.quantum-pi.com/
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