We have investigated the conductance, g, of 1,4-butanedithiol linked Au nanoparticle films as a function of temperature, T, bias potential, V, and applied magnetic field, B. An interesting temperature dependence is observed for non-metallic films with thicknesses just below a critical film thickness: g ~ exp [-(T_0/T)^(1/2)] for 20 K < T < 300 K. We show that this temperature dependence is incompatible with an Efros-Shklovskii "variable range hopping" model, since "hopping distances" are too large to be consistent with tunneling processes, and tend to scale with size of super-clusters of molecularly-linked nanoparticles. We propose a "quasilocalized hopping" model based on competition between single-electron charging of super-clusters and electron backscattering within super-clusters to explain the observed temperature dependence. Various electron scattering time scales are extracted from magnetoconductance data using a modified "weak localization" model. Elastic scattering time scales are comparable to those required for an electron to traverse a nanoparticle, while inelastic and spin-orbit scattering time scales are consistent with those found in studies of conventionally-prepared granular Au films. At interfaces between metallic 1,4-butanedithiol-linked Au nanoparticle films and conventional superconductors, we find that g consistently exhibits peaks, as well as oscillations, that depend simultaneously on both V and B. Such peaks and correlated conductance oscillations are predicted by an enhanced Andreev reflection process due to disorder-driven elastic scattering and electron-hole interference in the nanoparticle film. While oscillations have been predicted by a so-called "reflectionless tunneling" model, they have not been observed at other normal-superconductor interfaces. We speculate that oscillations are observable in this system due to synthetically controlled uniformity of elastic scattering length (i.e., nanoparticle diameter) and a reduced number of current-carrying pathways, especially near the interface. Contrary to predictions of existing "reflectionless tunneling" models, we find that the periods of oscillation in B decrease as T increases. This suggests that the area of interfering pathways increases with T. We propose that this increasing area can be attributed to magnetic field penetration into the superconductor. Conductance data agrees remarkably well with known temperature dependence of penetration depth predicted by BCS theory. Our study shows that this additional region of flux must be considered in experimental and theoretical studies of "reflectionless tunneling", and underscores the utility of molecularly-linked nano\-particle films as a platform for studying charge transport.

We have investigated the conductance, g, of 1,4-butanedithiol linked Au nanoparticle films as a function of temperature, T, bias potential, V, and applied magnetic field, B. An interesting temperature dependence is observed for non-metallic films with thicknesses just below a critical film thickness: g ~ exp [-(T_0/T)^(1/2)] for 20 K < T < 300 K. We show that this temperature dependence is incompatible with an Efros-Shklovskii "variable range hopping" model, since "hopping distances" are too large to be consistent with tunneling processes, and tend to scale with size of super-clusters of molecularly-linked nanoparticles. We propose a "quasilocalized hopping" model based on competition between single-electron charging of super-clusters and electron backscattering within super-clusters to explain the observed temperature dependence. Various electron scattering time scales are extracted from magnetoconductance data using a modified "weak localization" model. Elastic scattering time scales are comparable to those required for an electron to traverse a nanoparticle, while inelastic and spin-orbit scattering time scales are consistent with those found in studies of conventionally-prepared granular Au films. At interfaces between metallic 1,4-butanedithiol-linked Au nanoparticle films and conventional superconductors, we find that g consistently exhibits peaks, as well as oscillations, that depend simultaneously on both V and B. Such peaks and correlated conductance oscillations are predicted by an enhanced Andreev reflection process due to disorder-driven elastic scattering and electron-hole interference in the nanoparticle film. While oscillations have been predicted by a so-called "reflectionless tunneling" model, they have not been observed at other normal-superconductor interfaces. We speculate that oscillations are observable in this system due to synthetically controlled uniformity of elastic scattering length (i.e., nanoparticle diameter) and a reduced number of current-carrying pathways, especially near the interface. Contrary to predictions of existing "reflectionless tunneling" models, we find that the periods of oscillation in B decrease as T increases. This suggests that the area of interfering pathways increases with T. We propose that this increasing area can be attributed to magnetic field penetration into the superconductor. Conductance data agrees remarkably well with known temperature dependence of penetration depth predicted by BCS theory. Our study shows that this additional region of flux must be considered in experimental and theoretical studies of "reflectionless tunneling", and underscores the utility of molecularly-linked nano\-particle films as a platform for studying charge transport.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Ferreira Seridonio / Resumo: Embora o estado fundamental de moléculas covalentes diatômicas na natureza seja inevitavelmente ligante com primeiro estado excitado antiligante, foi demonstrado teoricamente que um par de impurezas, colocadas dentro de um semimetal de Dirac tridimensional, pode exibir um estado fundamental antiligante. Esse contraste com a natureza de moléculas isoladas surge devido a emergência de uma inesperada interação de longo alcance mediada pelos elétrons de condução com comportamento relativístico inerente ao semimetal de Dirac. Os perfis dos orbitais moleculares ligante e antiligante desse estado molecular são obtidos por meio da determinação teórica da densidade local de estados na superfície, cuja medida experimental pode ser realizada com auxílio da microscopia de corrente de tunelamento. Para o semimetal de Weyl, foi evidenciado que a quebra de simetria de reversão temporal é responsável por uma transição energética de s- para p-wave nos orbitais individuais das impurezas. Como consequência dessa transição e da característica direcional dos orbitais p-wave, a interferência entre as impurezas produz orbitais do tipo sigma quando frontais e do tipo \pi quando paralelas. Além disso, foi verificado que o surgimento do efeito magneto quiral, devido a separação dos nós de Weyl com quiralidades opostas, produz polarização nos orbitais moleculares via oscilações de Friedel. Por fim, foi analisado o efeito dos graus de liberdade de vibração da rede, presentes em qualquer sistema realísti... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Although the ground state of the diatomic molecules in nature is inevitably bonding with its first excited state is antibonding, it was demonstrate theoretically that a pair of impurities, placed buried in three-dimensional Dirac semimetals, may exhibit an antibonding ground state. This contrast with the nature of isolated molecules emerges due to an unexpected long-range interaction mediated by the conduction electrons with relativist behavior inherent to Dirac semimetal. The bonding and antibonding molecular profiles were obtained by theoretical determination of the local density states on the system surface, whose experimental measurement can be performed with the help of tunneling current microscopy. For theWeyl semimetal, it was evidenced that the time reversal symmetry break is responsible for an energy transition from s- to p-wave in the individual orbitals of the impurities. As a consequence of this transition and the directional characteristic of the p-wave orbitals, the interference between the impurities produces p-type orbitals when frontal and -type orbitals when parallel. In addition, it was found that the appearance of the chiral magneto effect, due to the separation of the Weyl nodes with opposite chiralities, produces polarization in the molecular orbitals via Friedel oscillations. Lastly, it was addressed the effect of vibrational degrees of freedom, which are present in any realistic system, in the formation and features of (anti)bonding molecular state, ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

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